Lullabies and Bedtime Stories
by Haroku
Summary: On a normal outing, Sora and Roxas encounter the greatest battle which either of them ever had to face: caring for an abandoned child while trying to comprehend their growing feelings towards one another. The problems only build from there. Roxas/Sora
1. Found

**Title:** Lullabies and Bedtime Stories**  
Authoress:** PockyLoveLove**  
Rating: **T (may go up in later chapters)**  
Summary:** AUish On a normal outing, Sora and Roxas encounter the greatest battle which either of them ever had to face: caring for an abandoned child while trying to comprehend their growing feelings towards one another. Yaoi, SoraRoxas**  
Warning: **Yaoi, language, OOCness (hopefully not too bad), mistakes as its unbetaed

**A/N:** I was kinda slapped in the face by this idea while in the middle of listening to the KH II OST. This is not, I repeat, **NOT** an mpreg (I have concluded that I am just NOT cut out for mpreg XD) although there is a kid in the story. And really…Sora and Roxas pairing is in need of more love! X333333

As for the AUish tag: All the Organization XIII members are well, alive, and kicking! Roxas is still Sora's Nobody, but they're separate beings for the sake of convenience. Keyblades exist, of course, and only Roxas and Sora can wield them. Also, Roxas's personality is like that of when he is with Organization XIII, at least what I think his personality would have been like there, with mixes of the personality DiZ gave him in Twilight Town. I'll try to pinpoint what I mean by AUish more later XD

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters in anyway besides owning a copy of both games. I only write to entertain others and for my own strange, twisted, yet loveable amusement. (And I worship Square and Nomura Tetsuya-sensei for their brilliant minds! And Sora and Roxas are both loveably admirable, holding the half needed to complete the other :3)

* * *

Lullabies and Bedtime Stories

First Lullaby: Found

_A sprinkle of Stardust in your Eyes and your Eyelids fall, heavy and Drowsy_

_and you Find a sliver of a Dream in your Hand  
_

* * *

"C'mon, we barely get a day off! Let's go get some food!!" exclaimed Sora happily, bouncing along the sidewalk with a sunny grin. He leaned in towards his companion who warily backed away, eyebrow raised at the devious tone. That sort of voice meant only one thing: the inevitable flattening of his wallet.

Shaking his head, Roxas replied firmly, "No. Absolutely _not, _Sora. I'm gonna be broke again trying to feed you!"

The blond nearly face palmed himself, however, upon realizing the consequences of his words. And lo and behold, Sora's infamous puppy eyes were turned on him, those bright ocean blue eyes gleaming pitifully at him with the look of a kicked puppy. Roxas could feel his resolve crumbling and his wallet deflating as he really did slap his forehead with a loud sigh. He should have been able to fight against this 'ultimate, secret weapon' of Sora's. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't. Not yet, at least. One of these days, he would say no and stick with it, keeping his wallet nice and fat. But until then…

"Ugh, fine," gave in a defeated blond, rolling his eyes at the overly happy whoop the other teen gave.

"You know I love you, right, Roxas?" Sora grinned shamelessly.

His eyes rolling once more on their own accord, he muttered dismissively, "Yeah, yeah. As long as I have money."

Too busy on a high, the brunet did not hear his response, only whistling cheerfully as they headed over to a nearby cake house. The same one that they had been frequenting on _every_ outing they went out on. As the bell on the door twinkled at their arrival, a frilly dress clad waitress beamed in their direction and cried cheerfully, "Welcome to Twilight Cakes! Two?"

"Yup!"

"Right this way please!" She led the pair over to a window side table, handing them menus and another merry smile. "Do you two need some time to think over your order?"

Sora nodded, his chestnut brown spikes bouncing and poking him in the eyes.

"Okay! Please call me over when you're ready!" The waitress disappeared to tend to another set of customers, and Roxas just sighed, mourning his soon to be empty wallet. The things he did for his Other.

Leaning forward across the table, Sora asked animatedly, "What do you think I should get this time, Roxy? Hm? Hm? The raspberry mousse cake last time was really good, but I think I want something sweeter. Hmm, mango mousse cake? A strawberry mille-feuille? Fruit-filled chiffon cake? Tiramisu? Sachertorte? Green tea cake maybe? Or a fruit fresh cream sponge cake? Maybe I should just get a strawberry crepe?"

Mind reeling from all the dessert choices that the brunet had just listed off so easily from the top of his head, Roxas remarked, shaking his head with a concealed smile, "Order whatever you want, Sora. Since this is my treat, you can order everything that you want."

"Re-Really?!" brightened Sora, putting even the sun to shame.

"Yes, really," the other boy replied, the smile becoming harder and harder to hide. He found that when in the presence of his Other, it was hard to suppress little smiles and laughs like he had done back at the Organization. They just came…naturally to him, instead of forcing them.

Cheering, the Keyblade wielder exclaimed, positively beaming, "Yes! Then, I'm getting one of everything!! Excuse me!!"

The waitress popped back up with a bubbly smile, "Are you two ready to order?"

"Yup! I'll have a raspberry mousse cake, strawberry mille-feuille, fruit-filled chiffon cake, mango mousse cake, green tea cake, sachertorte, tiramisu, fruit fresh cream sponge cake, a strawberry crepe, and a fruit crepe," listed Sora, ticking off each item with a finger. His eyes turned to Roxas questioningly. "What about you, Roxas?"

"I'll just steal bites of yours, since I'm paying, thanks," responded number thirteen, calculating the approximate cost of all the desserts as his mind continued to swirl. Oh god, what had he gotten himself into exactly?

"Any drinks?"

Sora tapped his chin thoughtfully before saying, "One raspberry bubble tea and a honeydew bubble tea, both with tapioca please!"

The smile on the waitress's lips widened as she informed them ecstatically, "Okay! Also, today is our special 'Couple's Day'. If you come in with your sweetheart you get twenty percent off your whole total along with a complimentary heart-shaped cupcake, your choice of flavor."

"C-C-Couple's Day?!" squawked Roxas, slightly horrified. The other customers glanced over at him and his cheeks tinged pink slightly. Regaining his composure, his own crystal blue eyes glanced over at Sora who only grinned slyly. The grin that grinned whenever he was up to no good.

Turning back to the bubbly waitress, he said, (much to Roxas's horror and his wallet's relief), "Well, Roxas and I are a couple! Aren't we, Roxy?" To emphasize his point, and solidify their couple status, he leaned over and gave a light peck to the other's cheeks which turned a bright red. He spluttered incoherently, thinking, _'What…What the heck just happened? What just… What…?' _

The girl nearly squealed, trying to contain her joy, "I _knew_ it! You two make such a cute couple!! (_'A what!? We're a what?!'_) What flavor cupcake would you like?"

"Hmmm, do you have strawberry?"

"Of course! I'll be right back with your order!" she chirped, rushing off with their long order.

Roxas, having had lost his soul during that little exchange, shook his head and said in a loud whisper, "What the heck, Sora?! Since when did we become a couple!?"

"Since when the waitress told us that today's Couple's Day and we get a twenty percent discount. And free cupcake!" he laughed, finding Roxas's current facial expression beyond hilarious.

Of course the tempting offer of free cupcake baited him.

Although that twenty percent discount on their whole entire total was actually really tempting to Roxas as well, especially to his wallet. He let out a sigh but inwardly thanked the hasty brunet's greed for sweets. It saved him from having to pay the full price.

Their order delivered, the two munched away on the sweet treats until the sun began to dip below the horizon. Releasing a loud and satisfied sigh, Sora exclaimed, "I'm so stuffed, if I eat another bite, I think I'll explode cream everywhere!"

The blond nodded, having enough himself. His intake of sugar today was far past his normal limit and right now, heaving into a toilet sounded pretty appealing. His stomach gurgled in agreement, moaning in both joy and pain. He had a low tolerance for sweet things as opposed to Sora who could shovel all the sweets and still not be affected. Well, not by a stomachache anyways. A sugar high, well…yes.

"Let's take the rest home?"

"Yeah, I don't think I can eat anymore," groaned Roxas, rubbing his stomach painfully.

The waitress appeared out of nowhere, smiling as she began to delicately place their leftovers into a pretty faded orange box, decorated with a pink bow. Once the bow was tied and puffed up, she relayed, "You're total today is fifty-three munny."

Reaching into his back pocket, Roxas (sadly) pulled out the correct amount. Once paid for, he grabbed Sora, who grabbed the box, and rushed out of the store after seeing those joyfully, big curious eyes of the waitress who was just dying to ask them about their, ahem, _'relationship'. _

"Bye! Thanks!" waved Sora before being dragged out the front door, the bells tinkling as a goodbye.

Once outside, the Nobody let loose a relieved sigh, glad to be out and with most of his dignity still in tact. He turned around to find Sora just grinning at him in that way of his which had him saying defensively, "What?"

"Nothing at all, Roxy," sang Sora, laughing at the other's ruffled feathers. "Let's go by the park, 'kay?"

He just grunted his response, knowing very well that he wouldn't be able to refuse any request from his Other. Hands burrowing into his pockets, the two made their way back home, taking the pathway which crossed by the park.

"Man, I thought your face was gonna explode when I kissed your cheek back there," laughed Sora, fingers loosely looped around the handle of their cake box. Before Roxas could properly manage a retort aside from the mindless spluttering he was doing at the moment, he poked a soft cheek and laughed all over again as it tinged pink. The laughter died on his lips, however, as his eyes were drawn over to the empty playground, brows knitted together in concentration and nose scrunched up in curiosity. A frown creased his lips.

Taken back by the sudden sedated aura, Roxas tried, momentarily forgetting about the teasing, "Sora?"

"Hey, Roxas…" began the exuberant teen, still staring hard at the playground. The blond glanced over and did not see anything.

"Yeah?"

"Slides…don't have feet sticking out from under them on their sides, do they?"

"…No, Sora, they don't."

"Then," he blinked, pointing in the direction towards the double yellow slides, "why does that slide have feet sticking out on its side?"

Roxas did a double take and sure enough, there were a pair of feet sticking out from under the slide. He blinked several times, face blank as he answered, "I don't know, Sora. I don't know."

"Let's go check it out!" cried Sora, sprinting ahead.

Rolling his eyes at the childish nature of his companion, the teen followed after in a slower pace. When he reached the brunet, Roxas tripped over his feet, nearly doing a face plant into the nice and inviting sand beneath his shoes. He immediately went slack jawed as he openly gawked at the sight currently dancing in front of his blue eyes.

Sora was in a similar state, mouth gaping like a fish out of water and ocean blue eyes as wide as saucers. Finger pointing and mouth failing, all the poor boy could manage was, "Wahdahec?"

But really, in more coherent terms than Sora's scrunched together gurgle: What. The. _Hell._

"_What in Xemnas's name?!"_ Roxas finally cried, staring into a pair of sparkling ocean blue eyes which practically mirrored his own pair. His golden blond hair was mussed into messy spikes, resembling his own hair. This kid had his hair! And had his eyes!!

"Roxas… this kid looks a lot like you," pointed out Sora obviously, eyes still refusing to return to their normal size. Neither of them could tear their gaze away from the child who just sat in the sand, staring up at them as well.

"No, he looks exactly like you when you were a little kid—aside from the blond hair."

"How do you know what I looked like when I was a kid!?" the brunet cried, veering from the subject at hand. He looked indignant, cheeks puffed out.

Roxas answered, "Photo albums. Pictures." He returned his attention back to the child who just continued to stare at him with those big blue eyes.

"Rox, you gotta be _blind_ to think that _that kid_ looks anything like me. He's like…a smaller version of you!! Look!! Those clothes, though a bit different, are practically the same design! Those accessories are nearly the same! That weird, fan blown styled golden blond hair! Right down to those super blue and pretty eyes!!" cried Sora, waving his arms around and trying to accentuate his point.

The blond just raised an eyebrow having gotten over the initial shock.

Sticking his tongue out at his Nobody, Sora turned back to the kid as well, pondering for a few minutes. He suddenly crouched down and said with a friendly smile, "Hiya! I'm Sora and this is my friend, Roxas. What's your name?"

The kid blinked. And just when it seemed hopeless, he clutched at Sora's bare arm with hesitant fingers. Sora glanced down at the hand holding onto his arm and focused his eyes back on the little boy, confused. "Uh, where are your parents?" he tried again.

The boy just shook his head.

"You don't have parents?"

Shake of the head.

"But everybody has parents!" protested Sora.

His head shook.

He swiveled his head to regard Roxas, their eyes meeting. And within that instant, Roxas realized Sora's intentions.

"Sora, no. No. _Absolutely NOT!" _he stated firmly, shaking his head and even his arms to stress his decision.

"But Roxas! He says that he doesn't have any parents! If that's true, we can't just _leave_ him here! It's getting late and he's only a little kid!!" argued Sora indignantly, taking the boy into his arms. The little boy settled comfortably into his arms, snuggling closer to his warmth.

"Sora, it's a _child._ What if he does have parents and they come looking for him?"

"But he says that he doesn't have any!"

Despite the strong appeal to just slap the palm of his hand into his forehead, Roxas resisted, gritting his teeth to ground out, "Sora, no. What would we do?"

"Anything but _leave_ him!" the brunet retorted stubbornly. "C'mon, Rox! Let's just take care of him for tonight and try to find out where his parents are and if he has any. Then, first thing tomorrow, we can help him find his parents! Pleeeaaassse?" He pulled the puppy dog eyes and immediately Roxas twitched. It wasn't helping that the little kid in his arms was staring up at him like a wounded puppy as well with those damn huge blue eyes of his.

His resolve crumbled and he folded his arms across his chest, saying with a defeated sigh, "Fine."

Sora just grinned triumphantly.

– x – x – x – x – x – x – x – x – x – x – x – x –

"We're hooome!" stretched Sora, happily bounding into the house with the blond haired, big blue eyed boy in his arms. The little kid had his own arms wrapped around Sora's neck, as though hanging on for dear life. Like he was afraid Sora would disappear the second the loosened his grip.

Dumping the cake box onto the table, the two headed over the couches, dropping down tiredly. Roxas massaged his temples when he suddenly asked, "What exactly is the kid's name?"

"Dunno," shrugged Sora, his arms winding around the tiny boy's body affectionately. Turning to properly face the child, his face buried into the crook of his neck, Sora inquired awkwardly, "Hey, uh, what's your name?"

The boy lifted his head up from his spot and just blinked cutely.

"Is he mute by any chance?"

Sora scolded the blond by throwing a pillow at his head, which he dodged instinctively. Pouting on the boy's behalf, he rebuked, "Don't call him mute, Roxas! I'm sure that he's just too shy to say anything!"

"Then, how exactly do we help him find his parents if he won't talk? We can't even get a name out of him."

"Just be patient, Roxas," chided Sora, ruffling the boy's hair. "I'm sure that he'll talk to us once he's more comfortable! We just gotta show him that we're not bad guys!"

_Sora_ was lecturing _him_ on being patient? Well, today was just full of surprises for this Nobody. He rolled his eyes, attention automatically being drawn back to the silent boy and grinning teen. Blue and blue crashed together as he and the child were drawn into a mini-staring contest. The little boy squirmed in Sora's arms, big eyes still locked with hues just slighter darker than his.

"Staring contest?" questioned Sora, blinking at the kid in his arms first and then his Nobody. He laughed, shaking his head at the two of them as he commented cheerfully, "Ya know, you two are alike in this way; both being too stubborn to lose."

Roxas faltered, breaking eye contact and nearly falling out of his chair as an added plus. "Y-You're like that too!"

The teen just grinned, laughing at the other's rarely seen flustered side. Sticking his tongue playfully, Sora countered, "Yeah, but I don't use my stubbornness to try and compete with a little kid!"

"That's because you _are_ a kid yourself," he answered, poking his forehead with a smirk.

"Wha-!? Hey!! Don't poke me! I'm the poker! You're the pokee!" cried Sora indignantly, trying to get back at the thirteenth Organization member. He was hindered by the boy sitting in his lap, arms still tight around his neck.

The other Keyblade wielder dodged another pillow being hurtled in his direction, smirking. He just flicked the unsuspecting brunet's nose before jumping back and narrowing missing a set of teeth just waiting to clamp down on said appendage. He waggled a finger back and forth, sighing in false disappointment, "And _you're_ supposed to be my Other?"

Sora stuck out his tongue, unable to budge from his spot on the couch.

"Anyways, we should focus on trying to get this kid to talk if we're going to help him," resolved Roxas, sitting down next to the brunet. He was immediately poked in the ribs, a cheeky grin his only response.

"Revenge," he clarified, satisfied. Eyes rolling, Roxas turned to the child cuddled in the other boy's arms, mouth quirked bemusedly, "How are we supposed to get him to talk? We need to find out his name in the very least."

"Mmmh…" pondered Sora, blond spikes tickling his chin. "Maybe we should bribe him with something."

The blue eyed boy chose not to comment only coughing lightly. As Sora ticked off a few of the things they could bribe the boy with, Roxas leaned closer to the baby face and inquired, "Hey, what's your name?"

"………" He was about to give up and go with Sora's bribery idea (which was sounding pretty convincing…and stupid) when a soft voice sounded timidly, stopping him.

"……n…"

Roxas did a double take despite already staring at the boy. Vaguely wondering if he had just dreamed up the sound, he pinched his thigh, unable to trust his ears. His mouth dropping slightly, he said, taken aback, "What?"

The boy looked into mirror crystal blue eyes and repeated more solidly this time, "…Ven."

Sora stopped talking to turn puzzled eyes at Roxas. Absently cuddling the boy closer to his chest, he asked the blond, "You say something, Rox?"

"H-H-H-He jus-just spoke…!" exclaimed Roxas, reeling back as his palms braced themselves on the soft leathery couch beneath him.

"What?! Really?! When!?"

The little boy glanced up at the two of them and said timidly, "M-My…name is Ven."

Head slowly turning downwards to stare at the boy, now identified as Ven, with boggling eyes, Sora blinked. Once…Twice… "Holy snap! He talked!!" cried Sora excitedly, grinning vibrantly. "Hiya Ven! I'm Sora! And this person next to me that looks exactly like you, he's my friend, Roxas!"

Ven curiously regarded Sora who was falling in love with the little boy more and more with each passing second. Honestly though, how could anyone _not_ love him, he was so adorable. He swiveled his head over towards the Nobody, studying him for a few seconds over with those big eyes of his before declaring happily, his voice certain, "…Daddy!"

This time, Roxas really did fall off the couch, his face getting well acquainted with the wooden floors. From below, a muffled yell floated to the top.

"DA-_DADDY?!"_

Sora very slowly glanced downwards to stare at the fallen boy, saying, "'_Daddy_'? Rox…is there something you're not telling me? Like a past relationship maybe? One that would be very beneficial and appreciated to hear about _now?_"

"Don't be ridiculous, Sora! This kid looks like he's at least five!" cried Roxas indignantly, picking himself back up to the couch. He brushed away the dust from his clothes, feeling bright blue eyes focused on him again. The Nobody cringed slightly. Daddy? How in the world did this kid come to that conclusion? Sure, they looked alike, he would give him that much, but to call him 'Daddy'? This kid was old enough to realize that he was waaaay too young to be his dad. Besides, Roxas didn't even know if Nobodies could _have_ children. They were just empty beings, right?

"Ven, are you sure that this blond haired, blue-eyed idiot is your dad?" inquired the brunet curiously, staring intently at the child. Even Sora, who was normally gullible enough to believe nearly everything, was having trouble grasping this one. He tried to maintain a serious air around himself while the little boy nodded bashfully. Unsure as to whether to believe Ven or not, he decided to try a different approach, "Okay, Ven, then who's your mommy?"

The blond haired child giggled a tiny fit as he exclaimed, "You are, of course. What a weird question to ask, Mommy."

"………"

Sora took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his inner mind which was in a state of total chaos. Or at least was going to be once he was able to process the words spoken to him in that overly cute voice. So far, he had only reached the word 'course'. Just one more sentence to go. ………"WH-WHA-_WHAT?!" _

This was absurd! Ven was old enough to tell between genders and probably knew that most moms were _fe_males! **Fe**males!! And he was most definitely not a female! He was a guy! Guys did not become pregnant with children. It was fact. Pure logically, undeniable fact. ……So why was Ven insisting that the brunet was his mom? Especially when: one, he was a guy, two, they just met, and three, he was a _guy_.

"You're the mom!?" exclaimed Roxas, eyes doubling their normal sizes as he pointed a shaky finger of disbelief at his Other. "You're the _mom!? _That would mean that _we…_…"

Both boys paled simultaneously before their faces turned an interestingly dark shade of red. Ven giggled childishly as he poked at Sora's flushed cheek, saying, "Both Mommy and Daddy look funny. Like tomatoes."

Roxas and Sora could not get past the 'mommy and daddy' labels which were like a hard kick to their guts each time it was spoken from the younger boy. Exchanging dumbfounded glances, Roxas turned to the smaller version of himself and said awkwardly, "Look, Ven. Sora and I… We aren't you're parents. We _can't_ be your parents. I mean, we literally, _physically_ _can't_ be your parents. Understand?"

Ven shook his head, those messy spikes swaying.

Giving a nervous laugh, because really, when was there ever a good time to spring upon a young child that they weren't his parents, Sora tried to think of a way to explain this as well; a way that would not end up with Ven crying because not even God could forgive either of them for breaking this poor boy's heart, then repeatedly stomping on it, and making him cry. Scratching the back of his head, he said carefully, "Ven, Roxas and I really aren't your parents. We can't be because we're both guys and neither of us are old enough to have a kid as big as you. And even if we were old enough to have a kid as old as you, we still couldn't be your parents because well…mommies and daddies are usually girl and boy. Roxas and me are both boys. Do you understand, kiddo?"

"Hmm…" hummed Ven softly, hands grasping onto the fabric of Sora's shirt as his brow furrowed together clumsily.

The thirteenth member gave a dim groan, leaning back onto the couch. Wasn't there any easier way to explain to this kid that they weren't his par… His brows stitched together as dark ocean blue eyes spotted the corner of what appeared to be paper sticking out from its spot in Ven's pocket. As if sensing just what his eyes were resting upon, Ven suddenly made a small noise and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a slightly crumpled photo, holding it up for both of the boys to see clearly.

"That's…" began Sora, unable to think properly.

Roxas finished his thought, breathless, "…Us?"

* * *

A/N: Anticlimactic ending that leaves me cringing along with a weird shortness XD I have ALWAYS wanted to write a story with Ven :3 in it after seeing him for the first time in the unlocked trailer in KHII (especially since I'm so eagerly waiting for Birth by Sleep and 358/2 Days, and by eagerly, I mean hyperventilating, tongue in cheek, and actually _dreaming_ about the two games XD yes, I'm obsessive and proud)! And then, this idea just kinda slapped me in the head haha! I mean, what's better than making Ven the child of Sora and Roxas? :3

Anyways, hope you enjoyed and reviews would be greatly appreciated and loved X3


	2. Becoming a Family

Warning: Yaoi, language, OOCness (hopefully not too bad), mistakes as its unbetaed

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters in anyway besides owning a copy of both games. I only write to entertain others and for my own strange, twisted, yet loveable amusement. (And I worship Square and Nomura Tetsuya-sensei for their brilliant minds! And Sora and Roxas are both loveably admirable, holding the half needed to complete the other :3)

* * *

Lullabies and Bedtime Stories

Second Bedtime Story: Becoming a Family

_Crack the Book open to Find _

_the Wish of our Dreams written so easily on Paper_

* * *

Eyes of the same hue stared at the photo clutched in a small hand unblinkingly before turning to one another. The bafflement was evident in their eyes as was the question, _when was this taken? _

A picture slightly worn from the years throughout; inside, it held both a sleeping Sora and Roxas lying together on a bed, legs tangled together and arms cuddling one another, blissfully tranquil looks smoothing out their faces. Both boys stared at one another once more before turning back down to the picture, honestly perplexed because neither of them remembered ever falling asleep together like they were in the picture. But if this had never happened, why was there a picture of it?

"Ven…"

The said boy looked up and smiled, "Yes, Daddy?"

Roxas flinched at the word, still not quite used to hearing it. He shook his head, continuing, "Where did you get this picture exactly?"

Putting a finger to his cheek in thought, the blond answered after a few moments, "I don't know. I've always had it with me since I can remember. All I know is that it's mommy and daddy sleeping together!"

Sora and Roxas sprang to the other sides of the couch, faces burning and averting the other's gaze. Ven just blinked innocently, not realizing the impact of his words when put together in that particular order. Mommy and Daddy…sleeping together. Them…sleeping together. And their faces colored even darker as each tried to wave away those embarrassing thoughts, coughing lightly.

"Mommy? Daddy?" called out Ven, poking Sora's cheek when he didn't respond.

"Huh? What's wrong?" the brunet asked, head poking back upwards. He flashed a smile when the younger boy continued to frown in worry, cheeks puffed out.

"I'm hungry." As if to accentuate his point, a loud growl rumbled from his stomach causing Sora to blink several times before bursting out laughing. Even Roxas, from his side of the couch, cracked a smile at that one himself. While the 'daddy' debate was still up in the air, the blond could not deny that the child was cute. Although, was that considered as narcissism since he and Ven were practically identical appearance wise?

Getting up to his feet, Sora headed to the kitchen, saying with a grin, "I hope you like cake."

A nod bobbed his head vigorously eliciting more laughs from the brunet. Out of habit, Roxas followed the two of them, taking a seat at the table. Ven was set down into the chair across from him, smiling away without a care in the world.

Setting down a plate of desserts from their earlier sugar stop, Sora bounced into the chair next to Ven. He looked slightly hesitant, but asked, unable to stand the curiosity biting at him, "Hey Ven, why am I the 'mommy'?"

Roxas flicked his forehead, saying disapprovingly, "What kinda question is that to ask a little kid?"

"What? I'm just curious! I mean, why did I end up as the mommy? I think you would be so much better suited to be mommy, Roxas," pouted Sora, rubbing his forehead and sticking out his tongue childishly. From beside them, Ven giggled into his bite of cake, finding both of them to be arguing about a matter such as that really silly.

He took another bite of cake before answering, as though it were the most obvious reason why, "That's because Mommy is mommy and Daddy is daddy. Duh. What a funny thing to ask."

The blond smirked, repeating purposely, "Yeah, Sora, 'cause _Daddy_ is daddy and _Mommy_ is mommy." However, the smirk promptly fell into a frown as he realized that he just acknowledged himself as Ven's dad. He was a great kid without a doubt, but being his dad? Roxas wasn't so sure. He had enough trouble to deal with on his own… Sora, on the other hand, seemed to have accepted his role as 'mom' without a second thought (despite all the arguing), wiping away the mess of cream on his cheek with a laugh.

"Ven, how can you get cream on your hair?!" squawked the brunet, staring incredulously at the plop of white cream sitting on golden strands. The boy shrugged through a mouthful of cake as the corners of Sora's mouth twitched silently. Roxas absentmindedly reached over to wipe it away, earning him a heartwarming smile from the little boy who resumed eating.

"But anyways, I'm waaaay more manly than Roxas! I definitely think that Roxas should be the mommy," pouted the brunet childishly crossing his arms.

"Get over it, Sora. You're the more effeminate one out of us anyways," the Nobody teased easily.

"What?! Says who? You're pretty eff–whatever that word was yourself!" exclaimed Sora, fumbling slightly over his words. "And plus, I'm the Keybearer which definitely makes me the male of the relationship!"

"Maybe you're forgetting, Sora, but I can wield the Keyblade as well, idiot."

Huffing, cheeks puffed out much like Ven earlier, he tried as a last resort, "You wanna battle this out? Winner gets to be the dad?"

Roxas grinned, leaning forward on an elbow as he taunted, "You sure you up to the challenge? In case you've already forgotten, I won last week's match, remember Sora?"

"Mommy, Daddy, fighting isn't the way to solve your problems," advised Ven seriously, tapping both of their noses with a small finger. They turned their stares from each other to Ven who continued to frown disapprovingly at them.

Sora sighed in defeat, agreeing with the younger boy, "Ven's right. We're setting a bad example for him! Okay, I guess being the mommy isn't so bad. But in that case, _Daddy_, I expect lots of gifts from you in the future! And lots more cake when we go out."

Roxas rolled his eyes with a laugh, flicking the tip of his nose as he smirked, "Whatever you say, _Mommy."_

"Now, kiss and make up!"

The two teens flushed interesting shades of color at that cheerful declaration, swapping apprehensive glances. Having seen this scenario before Ven burst into laughter, his boyishly careless giggles causing smiles to light up both parents' faces. His parents were funny, acting just like little kids. The brunet gave a meaningful gaze to Roxas who returned it, both weak against the younger blond. Well, it _was_ just a kiss. Just one kiss… It couldn't hurt, right? Leaning over the expanse of the table, the pair began to sweat nervously, knots tying their stomachs as they inched closer and closer. Lips ghosting over one another, breaths mingling together, Roxas closed the hairline gap and pressed a solid, firm kiss to other's lips. (He was the dad of the relationship, after all.) He quickly pulled back, cheeks flushed and leaving Sora in a similar state. They exchanged bashfully awkward chuckles, trying to write off the blush on the other's face as just from the sudden rise in temperature.

Ven smiled victoriously, cheering while the Roxas willed his heart to stop beating and Sora concentrated on getting his stomach to untie itself. The Keyblade wielders had to remind themselves that it was just a kiss, just an innocent little kiss between two friends at the request of the child whom they were now the parents of. Just a little kiss, no big deal.

Carefully, Sora began, trying to sound casual despite the shared kiss, "Well, I guess this means that we're the ones who will have to take care of Ven, right Roxas? Since it been decided that you're the dad and I'm the mom and we've officialized our…relationship as Ven's parents. "

Despite having spoken so as to not alert the younger boy, Ven quickly interjected with dejected eyes, crestfallen as he understood the underlying message, "I can't stay with Mommy and Daddy?"

'_So sharp!!' _was their dominant thought. Both Keybearers exchanged uncomfortable glances at the tears welling in his bright blue eyes, forgetting all about the earlier awkwardness of the kiss. Immediately, Sora took in the boy into his arms, saying hurriedly with shakes of his own head, "No, no, it's not like that, Ven! You can stay with Mommy and Daddy forever! I promise! Mommy and Daddy will never leave you. Right, _Daddy?"_

Taken back by the sharp glare directed at him, Roxas ruffled his own blond spikes, contributing truthfully, "Right, _Mommy." _

The boy perked up, sniffling a bit embarrassedly as he rubbed at his watery eyes with his wrists. Feeling a tug on his heartstrings, Sora soothingly threaded his fingers through golden spikes as he said, "It's okay, Ven. Don't be sad, okay? I promise that we'll be together forever."

Ven nodded, eyes red and puffy from all the rubbing. As the brunet awkwardly pressed a kiss to his forehead, a small smile reappeared, the sniffles dissipating. The younger boy leaned forward and gave Sora a kiss on the cheek as well, smiling happily. Sora just grinned. He was really liking the role of mom, actually. Snuggling into his arms, a small hand came to cover his mouth which was stretched by a loud and weary yawn. "I'm…kinda tired, Mommy…"

"Huh? Tired?"

"Can I sleep with Mommy and Daddy tonight?" He blinked drowsily.

The two turned beet red, stuttering uselessly as they tried to think of an excuse to bail them out of sleeping together. However, at the sight of his earnest (and sleepy) eyes and the slight pout pulling at his lips, Sora caved, giving Roxas an apologetic glance. "Er, well…sure, Ven. You can sleep with Mommy and Daddy tonight."

"Sora," came the protest from the blond, eyes wide.

Lowering his voice and leaning forward, being careful not to crush Ven, he whispered, "C'mon Rox, it's only for one night. Besides, it won't be so bad since Ven'll be in between us."

"Che…fine…"

"Yay! Daddy agrees to it too, Ven! We'll all be sleeping together tonight!" cheered Sora brightly, grinning triumphantly. However, he immediately quieted down upon finding Ven already fast asleep in his arms. Pressing a finger to his lips, he shushed Roxas despite being the loud one himself.

Roxas rolled his eyes, feeling the need to point out, "_You're_ the one that's being loud."

The tip of a waggling tongue was all he got in response.

"Hey, Roxy…"

Blinking at the unusually soft and hesitant tone, the blond placed his full attention on the boy, head tilted, "What's up, Sora?"

Ocean blue eyes were focused on the sleeping boy in his arms, stroking his hair softly. "We…We don't have to send Ven away, do we? Can't……Can't he just live here with us? I mean, he already thinks that we're his mom and dad because of that weird picture. Can't we just raise him ourselves and be his family?"

"Sora…"

The brunet returned his gaze, eyes silently pleading with his Nobody who could feel a sharp stab of guilt in his side. His voice was louder, imploring, "Please? Please Roxas? We can be a family! We can give him a family! Even if it's a little weird and out of the ordinary, we can be his family! That way, he won't have to be by himself anymore and suffer through the loneliness… Please, Rox? Let's be his family?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, he let loose a small sigh, "Sora… We don't even know the first things about parenting much less caring for a kid as big as him."

"It can't be that hard! Plus, we can read up on it and ask people for help! I'm sure that Kairi will know a little something on parenting since she's wanted kids for as long as I can remember! C'mon, Roxas. We can be a family together. Please? Let's be a family."

He just looked _so sincere_ and his voice was just _so earnest_, Roxas did not have the heart to turn away from his request. Sighing in defeat, he finally remarked, albeit slowly, "Well…I guess we can't really just leave him by himself again. And he's already set on us being the mommy and daddy… It wouldn't hurt to take care of him."

Sora's face just lit up, positively beaming at the other boy with a heart stopping smile, "Aw, thank you, thank you, thank you Rox!! We'll be the bestest parents ever!!"

"Not if you keep using words that don't exist."

The brunet just stuck his tongue out once more, just as childish as the boy sleeping in his arms. Perhaps even more so. Smiling, he stated cheerfully, "We're gonna be a family… Isn't that just great, Roxy?"

"I don't know. I've never had a family to being with," reminded the thirteenth member with a shrug of his shoulders, indifferent to the whole concept. Being born as a Nobody, the members of Organization XIII were the closest things he had to a family—if they could even be _called_ that. Naturally, a frown sat upon his Other's lips at his words, brows stitched together.

Hating to see the normally energetic teen frown, Roxas quickly changed the subject, "So…what exactly are we gonna tell everyone? I'm sure that most of the Organization members won't care, but…"

"You're worried about what Axel's gonna think?" Sora finished knowingly with an amused smile.

"Something like that. But, what about you? Aren't you worried about what Riku and Kairi will think about this whole thing?" countered Roxas easily, steering the direction of the conversation away from himself.

Tilting his head upwards in a thoughtful gesture, he shook his head, redirecting his gaze back to the blond. "Nope," he replied firmly.

"Wha? Why not??"

"Riku and Kairi aren't the type to gossip and think weird stuff. I know for a fact that Riku will probably tease me about it and get a good laugh while Kairi will just gush over how cute Ven is, but they won't look at me any differently. They just aren't the type of people to do that. Moreover, they're my best friends," justified the brunet easily, grinning. "Once they get over the initial shock and the gushing and laughing, they'll probably become a great uncle and aunt to Ven even! Don't you think that way about Axel too?"

Roxas chewed on his lower lip in uncertainty. Axel would certainly be shocked, but then he would probably laugh it up and get over it easily. "I guess… Axel's never really been one to judge either."

"See? And besides, the two of you are best friends! Best friends just don't judge each other! Even if the weirdest things happen to them, best friends stick together!"

A small smile flitted across his lips at his Other's easygoing attitude and philosophy.

"Now, as for how we're gonna tell them about Ven… I say we just invite 'em over and tell 'em out right! That me and you have the cutest little kid named Ven who thinks we're his parents and we're a happy family! And they, as the aunts and uncles of Ven must surrender gifts when appropriate and spoil him!!" exclaimed Sora, eyes shining with excitement. The said boy shifted slightly in his arm (the other being pumped up), face burying into his shirt as a soft sigh parted his lips dreamily. Clumsy fingers clutched at the fabric, holding on tightly even in his sleep.

Chuckling, Roxas shook his head, catching sight of the picture. He picked up the discarded photo on the table with curious fingers, studying it intently, "I still don't get where Ven got this photo from."

Sora glanced over, his own eyes landing on the mysterious picture. He nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's really weird. And it makes no sense."

"How does he get a photo like this if it isn't supposed to exist?"

"Maybe it's from another world?" suggested Sora, shrugging. "All I know is that _that_ definitely never happened between us. But I guess since this photo was all Ven had, it was natural for him to assume that we're his parents, right Roxy? Since what little kids want the most are loving parents who will care for and love them."

Ocean blue eyes distantly still concentrated on the picture, he answered softly, "Yeah…"

"That's why I want to make sure that Ven never has to spend another day of his life alone! We'll be there for him always now, won't we, Roxy?" the Keybearer grinned optimistically.

"Yeah…"

"But you know, I wonder where Ven has been. Where he's been living, how he's been getting by before meeting us and stuff," commented the brunet curiously, tongue caught between his lips in thought.

Fingers tapping a tuneless beat against the wooden surface, Roxas shrugged, "Who knows. He seems to be in good shape though. He's not sick or emaciated, although he is a bit on the skinny side."

Chuckling, his shook his head, spikes swaying violently, "Yeah, but not like that, Rox. I meant that I just wanted to know a little more in depth about his past, you know? Since we're going to be his parents, we should know more about Ven. Plus, you two really are nearly identical so maybe someone who took care of him knows more about the resemblance?"

"I don't think he was being taken care of by anyone. If he was, why did he end up here alone?" reasoned Roxas, the tapping growing softer. "Besides, what really bothers me is this photo."

"Hunh? The photo? Why? It _is_ kinda weird since we've never actually…uh, done that, but I dunno. It doesn't seem all that suspicious."

The blond didn't answer, the tapping stopped. He only stood up, saying, "Let's go to sleep and think some more about this tomorrow."

Yawning, Sora nodded, getting up as well, being careful not to drop Ven. "Your room or mine?"

Roxas blinked, dumbfounded as to what the boy was asking. Rooms? They slept in separate rooms. Besides, wasn't it normal for the child to sleep with their mom? "For what?"

"We're sleeping together tonight, remember?"

Resisting the urge to bash his head into the nearby wall, the former Organization member made to give a twitchy smile which turned into a twitchy grimace. However, before he could answer, Sora suddenly exclaimed, "Alright! You're room it is!" and bounded off for his room, not even bothering to wait for his Nobody's answer, or stuttering. Doomed in a sense, Roxas followed after, mourning the loss of a good night's sleep.

When he entered, Sora had already set down Ven amongst the powder blue sheets and pointed out the door, towards his room. "I'm gonna go change."

The blond only nodded, hurriedly changing himself before Sora came back.

The word uncomfortable was probably an understatement to the discomfort both Sora and Roxas were feeling at that exact moment, lying together, cramped, in a bed meant for one but somehow supporting three. Just barely. There was hardly any leg room and should either of them had moved even an arm on accident, they would have surely ended on the floor as a lump. Roxas and Sora were currently lying in the former's bed (his room being cleaner and neater than Sora's), Ven cuddled between their bodies in the middle and sleeping away without a care in the world—or the worry of falling off the edge of the bed and onto the cold hard floor. Their legs were awkwardly positioned to avoid having to touch one another, arms cramped for space and faces far too close for comfort.

"This…is kinda uncomfortably," tried Sora nervously, giving a short, high pitched laugh.

Roxas nodded, licking his lips, "Yeah. Guess we should have thought this one through and picked some place bigger to sleep in."

"Maybe one of us should get a bigger bed? I get this feeling that this won't be the last time all three of us sleep together," the brunet smiled amusedly.

"Yeah, I get that feeling too. In that case, we really should."

Finger idly circling the pillow covering, the Keybearer whispered, smiling gently, "But you know… I kinda like it, even if it is uncomfortable. All three of us sleeping together that is."

There was an abnormal flutter in his stomach, causing the blond to shiver lightly at the sensation. He swallowed hard, smiling shakily in return, "O-Oh, really? Why?"

He gave a nervous chuckle, embarrassed ever so slightly. "Promise you won't tell anyone, okay Roxas? I'm only telling you 'cause I reeeaaallly trust you. I haven't even told Riku or Kairi," began the brunet, still a bit hesitant as fingers messed with the pillow fabric. "The truth is…I actually really _hate_ sleeping alone, heh. Pretty lame, huh? I'm not afraid of heartless or nobodies, but when it comes to sleeping alone…ha. I end up staying awake for hours before finally falling asleep. That's why, sleeping together like this makes me really, really happy."

The abnormal flutter turned into his whole stomach churning, strangely happy and cheeks unusually warm for some off reason. Roxas tried to shake off the feeling, goosebumps rising along his arms, as he answered, willing his voice to stop quivering, "It-It's not lame. We all have things that we hate and fear. It doesn't make you any less of a person, Sora."

"Thanks Rox. I knew I could tell you," beamed the teen.

The two lapsed into a silence, neither being able to fall asleep but both being unable to start another conversation. So instead, Sora shifted to try and get more comfortable, his leg brushing against the Nobody's who recoiled slightly from the touch. "Ah, sorry."

"It's fine."

However, seconds later, Roxas, unable to feel his left arm anymore (he was lying on his side, the arm trapped between his body and the mattress), moved slightly as well, forehead lightly banging into Sora's who murmured a quick and quiet, "Ouch!"

"Sorry," apologized the blond, freeing his arm only to knock into Sora's elbow.

Shaking his head, his chestnut brown spikes poked the other in the eyes. "Ah! Sorry, Roxas! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," number thirteen tried, giving a faint outline of a smile. He tilted his head back from the haphazard spikes for a moment, legs untangling themselves slowly as he could feel his blood circulation being cut off.

Sora repositioned his hips, huffing in frustration at the lack of freedom. Glancing up at the equally exasperated blond, he asked quietly, "Um, Rox? If you're okay with it…d'ya just wanna maybe…" He gestured vaguely the rest of his sentence, too nervous to actually speak the words. His cheeks were dusted with a faint, alluring pink.

His own face flushed, Roxas gave a hesitant nod, embarrassed beyond what words could express as he carefully wrapped an arm around Ven, Sora doing the same. They wiggled closer to the smaller boy, legs tangling themselves together and foreheads pushed together as well. Roxas could practically feel the hot air dancing across his skin, the spicy taste of cinnamon (from their toothpaste) entering his lungs as he breathed in Sora's shallow breaths. The soft scent of a cool ocean mist mingled together with the fresh scent of dewdrops after a heavy rainfall, creating a pleasing sedative for their senses. It was relaxing and all in all warmly comfortable.

Which made being so close to each other just all the more dangerous and unnerving. More than once, Roxas caught himself staring at those firmly soft lips of the brunet, scolding himself each and every time he slipped. And Sora constantly admonished himself as well each time he itched to just snuggle into the Nobody's warmth. It was driving them crazy and away from sleep. Unable to take the little slip ups any longer, Sora spoke first, saying exactly what was on the other's mind, "Uh, Rox…about that – kiss from earlier…nothing's gonna change or become weird between us…right?"

A blush crawled up to their cheeks at the memory.

"That…That was just to make Ven happy. Since we're his parents and it's normal for parents to give each other kisses, there's really no problem. It's not a big deal so there's nothing to change or become weird," rationalized the blond, struggling to not shiver at the feel of Sora's breath brushing against his flesh.

Sora let out a breath of relief, drawing more shivers from Roxas unknowingly. A smile picked up the corner of his lips once more, "Sorry, Rox, for saying such stupid things."

"Don't worry about it, Sora. Just go to sleep." He could feel the brunet's nod, foreheads knocking together gently with each tilt of his neck. And all the awkward tension eased away, leaving behind the lull of slumber enticing each of them.

Eyelids heavy with sleep, Roxas barely registered Sora's soft voice whispering drowsily, "G'night, Roxas."

He mumbled out his own reply, having never felt such comfort in his life, "Night, Sora."

From between them, Ven smiled happily in his sleep, dreaming of their family.

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A/N: This chapter's kinda on the short side and still just setting up the main story, but in return, Sora and Roxas have already kissed! XDD The chapters'll probably get longer as I go along, but for now, sorry for the shortness. Whew, can't wait to get outta these, setting up the story chapters! Anyways, yeah, sorry for the delay as well, I am thrashed with summer homework which I've neglected until now haha Thus, I'm paying the price for it :sigh: Stupid bane of my existence bashing me down.

Thank yooh everyone who reviewed! You guys had me dancing and smiling like crazy, I was so happy!! :3 Thanks to everyone to added this story onto their alerts/favorites lists as well!


	3. Surprises at Their Best

Warning: Yaoi, language, OOCness (hopefully not too bad), mistakes as its unbetaed, change of summary

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters in anyway besides owning a copy of both games. I only write to entertain others and for my own strange, twisted, yet loveable amusement. (And I worship Square and Nomura Tetsuya-sensei for their brilliant minds! And Sora and Roxas are both loveably admirable, holding the half needed to complete the other :3)

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Lullabies and Bedtime Stories

Second Lullaby: Surprises at Their Best

_Voice so Low, there is Nothing to hear_

_will Nobody listen… to Our Deepest wishes _

_

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_

Soft, muffled giggles rang in Roxas' ears as he moaned sleepily, barely awake to feel a softness tickling the tip of his nose. Light puffs of hot air blew comfortably against his collarbone and Roxas had half of a mind to continue sleeping. However, another giggle, this one slightly louder, chimed in the air and reluctant lids rose to reveal groggy blue eyes. As he waited for the fog of sleep to clear from his eyes, his fingers absently played with strands of spiky brown hair, twirling it around his fingers and rolling them together. The appendages trailed downwards, massaging the back of the neck for a few seconds and then proceeding to play with the shorter curled ends of the brown hair.

…Neck? Hair?

"Oh holy—" managed Roxas before zipping his lips shut, eyes bulging as he glanced downwards. Sora was in his arms. (Surprise, surprise.) Literally. The slumbering boy was pressed up against his chest, so close Roxas could actually feel his heart beating, head cradled underneath his chin in the nook of his neck. His arms were awkwardly trapped between their crushed bodies, one leg thrown around the blond's waist while the other laid between his own. For a split second, Roxas could just feel the karma biting his ass, hard and mockingly. Of course. How stupid was he? If two people slept in the same bed, especially a bed that was barely big enough for both of them, it was natural that they would wake up in some reeeaaally awkward position. It happened in every damn movie, drama, story, you name it. Cursing to himself softly, Roxas resisted the urge to face palm himself as he tried to untangle his arms from the other boy's waist and neck. It proved to be impossible, because, like all good clichés, if he tried to move his arm from out underneath the brunet's body, Sora would wake up which would just escalate the awkwardness of the whole situation; and that was a scenario that Roxas honestly did not need as soon as waking up. He didn't really do mornings all that well. A light groan pressed from his lips.

"Daddy!!"

Eyes traveling downwards, he found Ven sitting at the foot of the bed, all smiles and looking adorably cute with his bed tousled blond hair and hands pressed against his mouth to hold back some more giggles.

Roxas stared from the boy to Sora wondering dimly, _'When the hell did Ven escape? Or rather, _how_ the hell did he escape?'_

"Uhm…morning…" he offered pathetically, unsure how to greet a little kid who had just labeled him as his father the other day. The boy just beamed brightly, brighter than the sun's rays peaking in through the dark blue curtains. He had Sora's smile that was for sure. …Oh god, he was doing that cheesy thing where parents picked out which aspects in their child resembled them. He didn't have time to groan, a voice interrupting him.

"Daddy and Mommy are all cuddly together," grinned Ven cheerfully, letting loose a laugh when Sora moaned and shifted. Roxas found himself on his back, a still quite sound asleep Sora now using his chest as a pillow, half of his upper body pressed against his own body. It felt…oddly comforting and horrifying at the same time. The blond tried to wiggling free only to have arms lock him in place as they looped across his torso and fingers idly dragged up and down his side slowly. His breath hitched when the fingers pushed past the white fabric of his shirt and finally swept across his exposed skin. Shuddering at the sensation of feather light touches trailing up and down, Roxas swallowed hard, staring up at the ceiling.

This was so wrong in so many ways. And they were even in front of a kid!!

He let out an appreciative groan, however, (much to his horror) when the fingers pinched his hip. This was going too far now. (And, hello! They were still in front of a little kid, their "son" no less!)

"Sora."

The brunet did not respond, appendages tracing random patterns into his hip.

"Sora, wake up," tried Roxas once more after clearing his throat. His eyelids suffered a short spasm but remained shut as his fingers continued their patterns. He choked back a groaning sigh.

Ven laughed into the palm of his hand, watching Roxas struggle to wake up Sora. "Mommy and Daddy are so funny and so lovey!"

Roxas pushed back the urge to groan in frustration as he gave the younger boy a small, forced smile. He was getting molested (more or less) by a sleeping Sora and being watched by a confused but happy Ven who happened to be a child (and probably did not realize that his "daddy" was currently being molested by "mommy")! What a great morning this was turning out to be.

"Sora, hey, wake up. C'mon Sora, wake up," spoke Roxas, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a gentle shake. Sora moaned against his skin, prickling his flesh and sending a deep flush to the blond's cheeks. Screw being polite and nice, desperate times called for desperate measures. Roxas violently shook the boy awake until his head was being thrown back and forth.

His words were slurred as they tumbled out of his mouth, and heavily sleep laden eyes peeked open from beneath heavy lids. Sora yawned, "Roxas? What's up?"

"It's morning," shrugged Roxas, adding inwardly, '_And you're hugging me to death like I'm a big fluffy teddy bear and molesting me in front of our child. ……No, wait, _the_ child.' _

A yawn stretched his mouth once again as Sora blinked a few times. The Nobody waited for a few moments, tapping his fingers against the bedspread. Just a few more seconds…

"Mmh…mmkay," yawned Sora, curling up closer to the blond's side and nestling deeper into his warmth.

Bingo—Wait, what? No squawking or awkward yelps? What was going on? Did Sora just happen to blatantly miss the fact that the two of them were far too close? Or did he just not care? The second option did not seem all that infeasible considering how touchy feely a person like Sora was. The boy was constantly seeking some sort of touch and physical contact and whatnot. Then…was Roxas considered strange for feeling so uncomfortable and yet content at the same time?

No. This was just plain weird. Even for him, a Nobody, this all seemed just plain weird. Clearing his throat softly, he called out once more, "Sora? It's time to wake up. It's already morning, and Ven's already awake too."

The brunet seemed to just burrow his face deeper and deeper into his chest, fingers clutching at the thin fabric of his shirt. Voice muffled, the boy spoke unintelligibly, "Foo urwef."

Rolling his wearisome blue hues, Roxas kept tight control over his body while speaking, "It's not early, Sora. It's already eleven. So get your lazy butt outta bed and let's go eat. I'm sure that Ven's hungry, right, Ven?"

Ven nodded enthusiastically, giggling into his hand again when vibrant (even when he was asleep!) blue eyes peered open and gazed up goofily at the Nobody. The still sleepy teen motioned for Ven to come over. Roxas was released in order for Sora to properly hug the smaller boy to his chest and greet him with a groggy cheerfulness and a small kiss to the forehead, "Good morning, Ven."

The Nobody rolled out of bed as he could feel a smile tugging at his lips as he watched in discreet curiosity just how easily the brunet was able to interact with Ven. It was almost as though Sora was born to be a parent; he would make a great, and was a great, mother…or father…or mother. Whatever. But then again, Sora did have that quality to befriend nearly everyone he met. Maybe being good with kids came with the whole friendly aura surrounding him?

While lost in his thoughts, Roxas found a pair of brilliant blue eyes staring expectantly at him. Shifting his weight to his other foot awkwardly, Roxas easily read the stare and found himself complying (to fulfill his role as the father). He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Sora's temple, saying, "Morning."

Still not yet out of his sleep induced haze, Sora leaned forward and caught the blond's lips in a short, innocent kiss. He smiled sleepily at Roxas and hummed, "Morning."

Pink brushing his cheeks while Sora's forehead dropped onto his shoulder, Roxas barely managed to keep himself from yelping and instead fondly patted Ven's head, the boy puffing out his cheeks and pouting at the action. "I'm not a child, Daddy!" he insisted, rolling his eyes.

"Well, you're short, tiny, and younger than me which makes you a child. Just like Sora," retorted Roxas easily, lightly flicking the younger boy's nose with a playful smirk.

From beside, Sora muttered into his shoulder, "I am NOT a child."

The blond only snorted, turning his attention back onto the smaller boy who sat on his knees on the bed, large blue eyes blinking. A sudden thought occurred to him and Roxas found himself asking, "Ven, how old are you exactly?"

Eyes turning up towards the ceiling in brief thought, Ven answered blankly, "I don't know."

The answer had the former Organization member frowning. There was just something surrounding the situation which he could not fully bring himself to blindly trust. While he held no doubts that Ven was not some sort of threat to them, Roxas could not throw away that feeling of paranoia gnawing at the pit of his stomach.

However, the feeling subsided momentary at the sound of loud growling. He glanced at Sora, who refused to budge from his spot on the blond's shoulder. It was way too comfy to give up.

"Looks like you're pretty hungry as well," Roxas taunted lightly, giving a small push to the other's shoulder. Sora moaned in complaint but reluctantly drew himself away from the blond, yawning drowsily. "Let's go make breakfast?"

"Yeah!" nodded Ven enthusiastically, tugging on their hands. Roxas could not deny that the boy was absolutely adorable.

Eyes softening, the blond allowed himself to be dragged by the hand towards the kitchen, chuckling as Sora dropped into a chair, dead tired. He poked the boy in the rib, earning a loud squeak and a startled jump from the brunet who just glared back at the blond. Roxas shrugged, "C'mon, Sora. You're helping out with breakfast this morning. After all, it is the _mom's_ job."

"Aw, what's the matter, Roxas? Afraid that you'll end up burning your hair again while frying some eggs?" teased Sora with a grin as Roxas turned red.

"Singed! I singed my hair!" he corrected, arms crossed and lips in a small pout of irritation. How was he supposed to know that the stoves were gas and not electricity? Hell, he never cooked when he was with the Organization anyways! The teasing chuckles from Sora roused him out of his inner complaints.

"You'd think that someone who hung out with a pyro maniac like Axel would be more careful around fire. Right, Ven?" winked Sora to the smaller blond who just nodded his head, holding onto Sora's hand. He let go, however, upon seeing Sora try to awkwardly pour some pancake batter into a bowl with one hand, and settled himself onto Roxas's lap (who had taken a seat during this little conversation).

Brows momentarily wrinkling together in thought, Ven suddenly asked, eyes curious, "Who's Axel?"

Almost automatically, Roxas muttered, as he watched the brunet lazily, "An idiotic redheaded pryo who is seriously going to end up burning down someone's house by the end of this year. Or at least poke someone in the eye with his hair."

"Daddy's friend?"

"Yes, daddy's friend," sighed Roxas. And after a few seconds, added, "Unfortunately."

Sora just shook his head, humming cheerfully as he just finished making breakfast for the three of them. Setting down the plate of pancakes and some syrup, the buzz of their doorbell caught their attentions. Exchanging a puzzled glance with Roxas, Sora left to answer the door, the incessant banging and doorbell ringing grating on his nerves slightly.

"He–…Kai-Kairi? And Riku!? And Axel, too!? What're you three doing here?"

"Sora!" The teen was enveloped in a tight embrace as arms wrapped around his neck. Coughing, he weakly returned the hug, catching the sight of Axel and Riku who both just grinned at his predicament.

"Kairi – I can't – _breathe,"_ he choked, promptly the pretty redhead to release her hold on him.

"It's been so long! I haven't seen you in forever!" she chimed happily, taking a hold of both his hands in her own and lightly swinging them. "Are you doing alright? How's Roxas? The two of you have been okay, right? Destiny Islands has been so empty without you! Nothing's really been the same since you left."

From behind, Riku rolled his eyes, commenting, "Give him some space, Kairi. We haven't even gotten inside the door yet and already you're plaguing him with questions."

"You gotta let us in or what?" Axel remarked, finding Sora's wide eyed expression amusing.

Before any of them could get in another word, Roxas emerged from the kitchen, hand in hand with Ven. "Sora, who's at the…" He trailed off upon taking one look at the visitors. "Shit."

Pivoting his body around to face the blond, Sora scolded, "Roxas, don't curse in front of Ven!"

"Ven? Who's Ven?" Kairi tilted her head past the brunet to look over his shoulder and her clear blue eyes widened almost impossibly. She stared unabashedly at the younger version of Roxas clinging to the teen's pants. As their eyes met, Ven let out a squeak and hid his face. Kairi, on the other hand, forgot for a short moment how to breathe.

Roxas crouched down to pick up the boy, rubbing his back soothingly once in his arms and whispering, "It's okay, Ven. These people are just our friends. Nothing to be afraid of, okay?"

(Fatherly instinct.)

"Kairi, what's the hold up?" came Riku's exasperated tone, lightly trying to push the two into the home. She stumbled inward as Sora backwards and the silver haired teen's jaw nearly hit the floor in a very undignified manner. (It was seen as undignified for Riku, at least.) However, just as quickly as he stood there slack jawed, Riku recovered, aqua eyes focused solely on the child now in Roxas's arms. He could not help but feel as though he was missing something. Something that Sora quite possibly _forgot_ to mention in his letters.

"Yo, Rox—" Axel froze.

Sora let out a squeak and Roxas just cast his gaze downwards as Ven buried his face into his shoulder, hands clutching tightly onto the fabric of his shirt.

"Uh, this isn't what it looks like," offered Sora awkwardly, gesturing to themselves. Their friends, however, took no heed to his words, all gawking in their own ways. A few more seconds of silence lingered before the brunet broke out into a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck in a manner that spoke of his own discomfort at the situation. The fact that Roxas had suddenly decided to go mute did not quite help either.

Kairi was the first to recover, asking tentatively, "Sora, um, are you and Roxas…_together_, by any chance?" Her choice of words had Roxas frowning.

From behind, Axel looked on anxiously, silently willing the brunet to answer.

"Really, this isn't what it looks like," Sora quickly remarked once more, shaking his head as his chestnut brown spikes bounced wildly with each turn of his head. "I mean, it is what it looks like. But it doesn't exactly imply what it looks like. Me and Roxas just kinda found him," clarified the brunet. "And I mean, he doesn't have any parents so we figured that we could just…" His hand made a random gesture which had the other occupants in the room filling in his blank.

"So, just to be perfectly sure, you two _aren't_ together, right?" came Kairi's hesitant question.

"Er, yeah." However, the lack of conviction in his voice did not although wipe away their doubts. Still, Kairi dropped the subject with a shaky smile.

"Well, I believe introductions are in order," she stated cheerfully. However, upon noticing the unmoving boys, she heaved a sigh and dragged them into the living room, determined to hear the whole story. And become acquainted with the child.

Roxas, who was seated next to Sora respectfully, silently mulled as Ven now sat in Sora's lap, face still hidden into the other's shirt but big blue eyes peeking out shyly every now and then. This was going a lot rougher than when he and Sora had discussed it just yesterday. Glancing over, he only found Sora hunched over slightly, pressing a kiss to Ven's spiky hair before straightening back up, a grin lifting the corners of his lips.

"So, everyone, this is Ven. Ven," here, Sora gently nudged the boy to peek out, "this is Axel, Riku, and Kairi. They're our friends and your aunt and uncles. Say hi."

Ven wriggled on the other's lap before turning to face these new people, his eyes wide and blinking. Still holding onto Sora, he mumbled a very soft and very cute, "Hi."

There was not even a ten seconds between the greeting when Kairi suddenly burst, her eyes practically shining, "He's so _cute!!"_

He smiled shyly at Kairi which only caused the girl to positively gush, making a huge fuss over the cute blond and causing Sora to beam proudly. Even Roxas could not help the smile that broke through his lips. He affectionately ruffled the boy's spikes without thought and Ven only pouted, swatting away Roxas's hand.

"He's an exact replica of Roxas," muttered Riku although silently agreeing with the redhead. There was something about the boy that vaguely reminded him of Sora back when the brunet was younger. It brought a small smile to his lips.

"A cuter replica, if I do say so myself," Axel added with his wily grin giving Roxas a reason to roll his eyes. "Although, I must say, if you two are playing parents, who's the dad in the relationship?"

Sora squawked, cheeks rapidly turning a rosy red as Roxas allowed himself a smirk. Arm winding around the brunet's lithe form, the Keyblade wielder found himself jerked towards Roxas's side as a voice announced almost teasingly, "Isn't it obvious?" Sora blushed prettily again at the other's answer, halfheartedly pushing Roxas away.

Axel turned to Riku with a smirk who grudgingly dug out his wallet, handing over the fifty munny that the two had agreed upon over their bet. The exchange was not lost on the two boys as Sora exclaimed, "You two bet!?"

"Easy money," Axel explained with a smirk. "Besides, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Plus, I knew that Roxas wouldn't disappoint."

To this, Roxas threw a glare at the redhead who just waggled a brow suggestively. He turned his attention back to the whole of the room, barely registering Riku's complaint of disappointment and Sora's chide of gambling in front of their child. About to join in on the conversation, Roxas was stopped by watchful blue eyes, pensive and curious. They flickered over to the general direction of both Axel and Riku (who were laughing at Sora's expense) before settling back on him. Awkwardly, he offered a small smile to Kairi who returned it politely. And her eyes were gone.

Was there something that he was missing?

"Roxas, here, and I are gonna go chat for a bit. Don't mind if I steal him for a few minutes, right, Sora?" Axel's voice cut through his thoughts as he now found himself being hoisted up.

Sora shook his head, missing the warmth of the other boy's body. "Nope. Take as long as you'd like," he grinned. From his lap, Ven watched the spectacle with curious eyes. Why in the world was his dad going off with Uncle Axel? "Make sure to have fun."

"Oh, we will," came the lecherous grin from Axel as he dragged Roxas away and completely against his will. They ended up in his room, door shut and mouths set into a thin line. Roxas fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie, plopping down onto his chair after making sure that Axel was seated.

"So, a kid."

Roxas glanced up and nodded, "Yeah. A kid."

The sounds of laughter came muffled through the walls as the two sat in his room. Roxas shifted in his seat, eyes hesitantly tracing the outline of Axel's lanky form which sat on his bed. Fingers tapping against his denim clad thigh, a sigh slipped past his lips, "It's really not what it looks like, Axel. Sora and I just found Ven. And when we found out that he had no family, well…we couldn't just leave him there."

Axel held up a hand to silence the blond, saying with a smirk, "Don't worry 'bout it, Roxas. I've heard it all from Sora. We all did, actually."

"Then, why are you so bothered about it?" was the blond's blunt question.

"I'm not bothered, idiot," Axel leaned back, eyeing Roxas, "It just complicates things."

Never one to beat around the bush, he asked, brow rising, "Complicates _what_ things?"

Axel let out a sigh, gazing up at the ceiling before his emerald orbs fell back onto the blond in a grave manner. His smile was grim and his voice bordering casual, "Oh, you know. Just the usual." His hand waved dismissively at this and had Roxas on edge. "Xemnas is getting restless. So are the other members."

"Shit."

"Bingo."

"There hasn't been a single Nobody since I've come back," Roxas stated, voice verging on a growl.

The redhead gave a short snort, "Of course there hasn't. He's being more careful, especially with Sora around. And he knows that you're a threat to him now too. Besides, he needs all of us and you were the last of us to come back. I'm assuming it went by rank because after me came Demyx a few months later."

"We're at the mercy of others now," he tried again.

"Use your brain, Roxas," remarked Axel, tapping his own head, "You seriously think Xemnas is going to get some day job and quite being evil? He's trying to rally us up again, although, I think for different reasons this time. He's got a new goal in mind." The look in his eyes was enough to tip off the blond that this goal was far from charitable.

Roxas sighed heavily, eyes weary as he declared, "He wants revenge on Sora, doesn't he."

"Among other things," the pyro shrugged, "He wasn't too keen on the details. He'll probably end up coming to visit you soon."

Fingers running through his hair, he cursed softly, "Fuck." Silence coursed through the room as Roxas sat there, listening to his past catch up to him. "This is all my fault. I never should have been brought back," the Nobody finally commented firmly. "Because of me, all the other members were revived and now, fucking Xemnas decides that he's going to wipe out Sora's existence as payback and thank you for graciously giving him an existence."

"It's not all your fault, Roxas."

"It will be when the bastard makes a move. Sora and Ven will be put in harm's way because of me," clenched Roxas, frustrated. Upon being brought back (or in his case, separated from his Somebody), Roxas had fervently hoped that he would be able to lead a normal life, like the one he had when placed into the town simulation by the DiZ character. Hell, he had even come back to Twilight Town just for that reason. Sora coming along with him and living together with him were just an added bonus. (Sora had claimed that he would be too worried about Roxas if he stayed in Destiny Islands.) And while at the beginning things were smooth sailing, they were now quickly becoming tangled into heaps. Of course it would catch up. It always did.

Oceanic blue eyes rose to study the ceiling of his bedroom. He breathed silently, "We have to put a stop to this."

"Calm down, Roxas. He hasn't started moving yet; probably won't for the meantime either," assured Axel, leaning forward with his arms resting against his knees. "I just came to give you a heads up is all."

"How am I supposed to tell Sora?" He seemed at a loss of words.

Studying his blond friend, Axel said after deliberation, shrugging, "Just tell him. It's not like Sora will be in for a huge shock after all he's been through. The kid's been through way more shit than you or me."

Roxas just nodded, finding a new reason to check in the shadows and look under the screen of darkness

* * *

Axel had been the first to leave, waving off the younger teens and giving Roxas a pointed wink that none of them missed. Soon after, Kairi and Riku departed as well with fond smiles as the two went in search of a hotel. Sora sent them off, waving enthusiastically by the doorway as did Ven. (He had grown to like his new aunt and uncles, except for the cheek pinching. He still could not find good in that.)

"They took it well."

Sora turned, grinning boyishly at the sight of Roxas as his eyes lit up. "Of course they did! I told you," he sang, flicking the blond on the nose. "Axel took it pretty well too, didn't he?"

"Yeah. A lot better than I thought he would," sighed Roxas, falling onto their couch. It was still warm from the lingering body heat of their previous guests and the blond frowned at that. "I guess I underestimated him."

"Well, it is pretty strange news," chuckled Sora, dropping down next to him. "I mean, how often do you get to tell your friends that you have a child."

Roxas hummed in agreement as he felt the weight of Ven atop his lap. The younger blond had immediately latched on to the two, smiling up at them. Sora playfully tapped his nose which wrinkled in retaliation. Laughing, the brunet questioned, "So, Ven, what do you think about Aunt Kairi and Uncle Riku and Uncle Axel?"

Brows clumsily coming together in thought and cheeks puffed, Ven thought for a few seconds before exclaiming, voice bright and bubbly, "I like them. They're nice and funny. But, I don't really like how Aunt Kairi keeps pinching my cheeks." He made a face while saying this.

Grinning, Roxas remarked, "Ven, people pinch your cheeks because they think you're adorable and cute. Like this, for example." With that said, the Nobody reached over and pinched Sora's cheek, making sure to pull the skin taut. Sora whined, slapping away his hand and frowning sullenly at the other's actions. A tanned hand came up to rub at his now red cheek.

Sora blew a raspberry at the other before a slow but goofy grin spread his lips. His cheeks dimpled and his voice impish, he asked, "Wait a minute. Then, Roxas, are you indirectly saying that you think I'm adorable and cute?"

Roxas groaned having walked right into that one.

Unlike most guys who would have protested vehemently upon being referred to as "cute" and "adorable" (those were words reserved for women, children, and animals), Sora just grinned triumphantly, poking Roxas in the cheek. The blond rolled his eyes, refusing to answer as he sat there with his arms cross. "Aw, it's okay, _Roxy_," Roxas frowned at the deliberate use of the cutesy nickname Sora had given him and enjoyed calling him from time to time, "I think you're cute too."

The grin on his lips was too much for Roxas who turned a faint red, muttering under his breath until soft lips press against his cheek. The red on his cheeks deepened and Roxas threw Sora a dirty glare. The brunet only laughed.

It was then that Ven decided that maybe cheek pinching wasn't so bad. Well, at least between his parents.

* * *

"He's got a kid!?" Tropical blue eyes widened comically as the teller nodded in confirmation.

Swallowing the last of his sandwich, Demyx leaned forward, still quite sure that he had misheard the redhead. The mere thought of their former thirteenth member now saddled with a child was simply mind boggling. "Are you _sure_, Axel?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I saw the kid for myself. Kinda cute, actually." The redhead leaned back against the wall of their shared apartment, arms crossed and lips drawn into an ever permanent smirk.

Demyx sat mute for a few seconds as his brain slowly processed the words before exclaiming with a grin, "I bet he looks like Roxas."

"Exactly, actually. He looks like Roxas but is gravitating more towards Sora's personality," shrugged Axel as his gaze lazily traveled over to the slate haired member who stood, silent.

The blond continued to grin almost stupidly at the news as he twisted his body back around to exclaim to the sixth member, "Can you believe Zexion? Our little Roxas has got a kid!" There was a short pause before he questioned, "Wait, who's the dad then?"

"Roxas."

Demyx laughed, at the predictability of the other's answer. Sweeping away the crumbs onto his hand, he said cheerfully, "The next day I get off from work, I'm definitely going to go visit him and Sora."

"I assume that means that Roxas is not going to participate, then," commented Zexion from his seat. Silence crept its way into the apartment at the sudden soured mood of the mention of their former allegiance. When no one made a move to break it, the former member remarked blatantly, "This will undoubtedly be a large setback for Xemnas."

"That's what I'm hoping," muttered Axel, eyes trailing over to rays of twilight shining in through their window. The sun was setting.

* * *

A/N: Uh. Uhhhh. So, while writing this, I realized, this isn't AUish at all. Oh well. Anyways, another mistake is that for the second chapter, I accidentally titled it as '_Second_ Bedtime Story' when it's supposed to be 'First'. And finally, I think that's all the mistakes, except for not updating…for half a year. For which I am ashamed. Anyways, the (failed) revival of Organization XIII by Xemnas plays a role later in the story so the relationship building between Sora and Roxas will continue uninterrupted for a while so don't worry!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, although I'm sure most of you have forgotten all about this story. Which is my lazy fault of course haha Still, thank you guys! And thanks to everyone who put this story on their alerts/favorites list!

I can't promise regular updates just yet as I'm still trying to finish off at least one story to lighten my load and refrain from starting any others (my biggest challenge). So to anyone who cares to know, I'm sorry and I'll try my best to work out some sort of regularity.

First update of the year :3


	4. Reading 101

Warning: Yaoi, language, OOCness (hopefully not too bad), mistakes as its unbetaed, change of summary

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters in anyway besides owning a copy of both games. I only write to entertain others and for my own strange, twisted, yet loveable amusement. (And I worship Square and Nomura Tetsuya-sensei for their brilliant minds! And Sora and Roxas are both loveably admirable, holding the half needed to complete the other :3)

* * *

Lullabies and Bedtime Stories

Second Bedtime Story: Reading 101

_our Written Dreams only Make them seem Real_

_as Poignant little words on the Page

* * *

_

A loud groan of protest was lost amongst the merry jingles of yet another door being opened. Roxas directed a glare towards Sora's back as the brunet ran over to the bookshelves, curiously investigating each and every last one in the children's section. By his side was Ven who was staring inquisitively at the large selection with wide eyes. Roxas silently reminded himself that he was doing this for Ven before trudging over to the pair with weary legs.

"Can't we get some rest? We've been at this all day," complained Roxas, leaning against the bookcase as he eyed the two tiredly. His energy and stamina gained from fighting and countless hours of training both in and outside of the Organization were crumbling before such a common activity: shopping.

(Which Roxas was now beginning to find completely unnecessary and quite the hassle.)

Sora glanced over his shoulder, grinning at the sight of the world weary Roxas and exclaimed, "It's only been a few hours, Roxas. This is _nothing_ compared to when I went shopping with Kairi. I was practically dead on my feet after going shopping with her. But, that's not the point. It's been over a week since Ven's started living with us and we haven't gotten him anything! So suck it up because this is for him!" His voice was entirely too cheery, letting the blond know that Sora was _fully_ enjoying his suffering. And to think that everyone thought the brunet was _innocent. _Ha!

"A few too many," he grumbled under his breath, collapsing onto a nearby sofa for readers where he could keep close watch over both Sora and Ven. While he trusted Ven to keep safe and not wander off, he couldn't exactly say the same for Sora who was always so easily distracted. He eyed Ven, however, who was now flipping through one of the books with childlike interest, fingers turning the pages slowly.

"Aww, is the great and mighty Roxas who fought Heartless, Nobodies, Riku, Axel, other Organization XIII members, and even me, going to fall at the hands of shopping?" teased Sora with a playful grin as he added another storybook to his slowly growing pile. There was no way that Sora was going to deprive his child of the joys of bedtime reading.

Roxas bristled slightly, feathers ruffled in all the right places but in all the wrong ways. Crossing his arms rather sullenly, he only leaned back against the couch and muttered under his breath. Sora laughed easily, fingers deftly pulling out another thin book by the spine. Eyes cocking curiously at the worn cover, he tossed the reading material to Roxas. It landed in his lap with a soft thud against his thighs. A brow arched in question.

"Just a little something to keep you busy," shrugged Sora with a silly smile. "I'm gonna go take these to the register, so keep an eye out on Ven for me, alright?"

He waved the other boy away, watching his departing backside. A small smile tugged at his lips as the boy seemed to bounce with each step over to the ridiculously long line, arms filled with books of all sizes. Shaking his head, Roxas turned back to find that Ven was now leaning against his legs, nose buried in a book that he had acquired from a nearby self. Satisfied that the boy wouldn't be wandering off into the hands of some murderous, stark raving lunatics that could have quite possibly been converted to pedos at the sight of Ven, Roxas turned his attention back to the book Sora had tossed his earlier. Fingers skimmed the front cover, tapping the golden letters thoughtfully before flipping open the cover.

_Once upon a time, in a land faraway…_

Roxas cringed. A fairy tale? Of all the things that Sora could have picked out. However, the blond continued as there was nothing else to do, eyes skimming the pages uninterestedly.

…_there lived a boy._

Well, that was rather different from the stories he had once read in the library back at The Castle That Never Was – for which Axel had taunted and teased him about endlessly until his face met with the dull side of his Keyblade. Brow quirked, Roxas thought nothing much of it.

_The boy was exceedingly beautiful with golden sun kissed hair that shimmered in the sunlight and vibrant blue eyes in which the one could view the lapping of the ocean waves. His soft skin held a fair, pale complexion and his body stood lean, outlined by defining muscles which had yet to develop fully. However, the one aspect of the boy which captured the hearts of all was his smile, sweet, soft, and oh so kind, warming even the most frigid of hearts. _

Here, Roxas stopped, hand having found its way to his hair. He paused however, brows furrowed slightly. There had to be about a million people other than him with blond hair and blue eyes. His eyes slid up to examine the visible occupants in the room. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Black hair. Green eyes. Red hair. Blue eyes. Not a single shopper held both the attributes of blond hair and blue eyes, and aside from himself and Ven, Roxas could not name a single person that did—well, except Demyx. But that only made three. He made a mental note of it to ask Sora later on. After all, blond hair and blue eyes weren't _that_ rare. Surely not when there were people with silver hair and blue hair running around. Satisfied, Roxas let his eyes drop back onto the page.

_This boy was graced with a name fit to match his beauty: Lucis._

_Sadly, fate had dealt a cruel hand to this beautiful boy. Orphaned from the very start, Lucis had spent many a days in the homes of orphanages until he came in to the constant care of Vespera, a kindly middle aged woman who had become a mother figure to the young boy, having taken care of him since he was but a baby. _

_Although Lucis was kind, courageous, friendly, and loved by nearly all, the boy was a troublemaker of the affectionate sort. He would come back home on more than one occasion with his arms scratched and his knees scraped, a goofy grin plastered on his face. While he avoided serious injuries, to which Vespera saw to quite rigorously, Lucis still carried with him the boyish glee of mischief and adventure that most children his age held. It would be this which led him on a quite thrilling escapade to make the acquaintance of his very first best friend. _

_It had been one warm, sunny afternoon on the beach that Lucis discovered, or rather, was discovered by a curious boy with chestnut brown locks and equally brilliant blue eyes, albeit darker. He watched Lucis play in the shallow water, poking and prodding at the marine life and filling the air with the sounds of mellifluous laughter. His curiosity had been piped. _

Roxas stared with bemused eyes down at the book which did not read of princesses and princes like he had stereotyped fairy tales to be. Instead, it was about a boy. Two boys, actually. And their growing friendship. Almost like his and Sora's. Perhaps this book would give him some insight into this whole forming a friendship business—one that he found still slightly hard to grasp onto to.

He glanced down to find Ven turning another page. The boy was nearly finished with the storybook and Roxas found himself smiling sheepishly. He, himself, was only two pages in his own book.

_However, the other boy did not approach Lucis, opting to remain in his spot. He was not terribly fond of meeting new people. Fortunately for him, Lucis spotted him and waved enthusiastically, clambering out of the water and approaching the brunet. _

"_Hiya!" he greeted cheerfully, waving. "I'm Lucis!" _

_The brunet remained silently, worrying his lower lip before he let out in a low murmur, "Hi. 'm Noctis." _

_Brows waggling, Lucis grinned. It wasn't often that he had a chance to come across a boy around his age and judging from his appearance, Noctis seemed to fit the bill quite nicely. His blue eyes blinked diffidently up at Lucis who beamed once more. _

"_You have pretty eyes," he stated without hesitation, hardly realizing what a strange comment it was to say or a bizarre compliment to give. _

_Noctis blinked uncertainly several times, long dark lashes kissing his skin with each flutter. Fingers playing with the hem of his sleeve, he glanced up through the curtain and smiled shyly, "Thanks. You do too." _

"_Thanks! Wanna play?" _

_A hand laid outstretched to him and shyly, Noctis took the hand with another small smile, a sight that Lucis was finding very fitting of the other boy. _

"_Sure." _

_And the two played the rest of the afternoon away, hand in hand. _

"Ready to go?"

Blue eyes rose from the book, crooking at the sight of Sora who was juggling what looked to be at least thirty different bags. He grinned sheepishly, having caught the other's stare.

"I wanted to make sure that Ven has everything he needs since he's our first child and all," elucidated the other boy. An eyebrow rose and Sora turned pink with realization as the words replayed over in his mind. He had made it sound as though the two of them where…

Sora blushed heavily, laughing nervously in that high pitched tone of his. Taking pity on the other boy, Roxas just placed the book down, offering to take a few of the bags.

"Oh, I bought those two books too. The one that you were reading and the one that Ven was reading," Sora remembered, fumbling slightly before getting one of the bags open so that they could drop the works of literature in. "C'mon Ven, it's time to go."

The blond poked his head up from the book with a small pout. However, he obediently stood to his feet and placed the books gently into the bag, saying earnestly, "Mommy, Daddy. You know, in the book I was reading, the prince and the princess said that they loved each other. But they didn't kiss, hold hands, play together, or sleep together like Mommy and Daddy. So, does that mean that you two love each other more?"

Sora coughed uncomfortably as Roxas murderously promised the very painful deaths of the writers of fairy tales. The adult-rated themes were highly unnecessary, especially where a 'and they all lived happily ever after' would have sufficed efficiently.

"Uh, Ven, that is," began Sora, smiling awkwardly. He trailed off however, brows stitching together in puzzlement as to how to answer the young boy. Lips brushed against the skin of his cheek hotly, however, which had Sora spluttering softly. The action, however, only encouraged the brunet who chanced a glance at Roxas who only gave him a roll of the eyes along with an amused smile. Sora returned the gesture before turning back to Ven who continued to wait with owlishly adorable eyes. "Yeah, Ven. Roxas and I, erm, love each other too."

_Just not in the way that parents are supposed to though, _he tagged on to the end within his own mind, trying to reason that he was telling still telling the truth. He loved Roxas, as a friend though. And Roxas loved him, as a friend. So technically, there were no lies. Just not entire truths either.

Ven studied them for a few seconds before his lips curved into a bright smile—very much similar to the ones Sora wore quite frequently. Taking both their hands in his own, the blond exclaimed, "Good! Because I don't think that the prince really loved the princess all that much. At least, not as much he said he did."

"Oh really?" grinned Roxas lazily, allowing the smaller boy to lead them out of the store. The trio paid no heed to the bizarre stares, or ones of disgust, thrown in their direction.

"Really," stated Ven firmly, head bobbing with the affirmation. "He didn't look very happy when the princess kissed him—at least not like how Daddy looked with Mommy kissed you this morning."

Sora laughed as Roxas turned a faint hint of red, "Aw, Roxy, are you _blushing? _How cute."

"Shut up," mumbled the blond, slapping away the fingers hovering close to his cheek. Laughter only bubbled from the boy's lips at the other's response.

"Mh-hm! Or the way Mommy looked when Daddy kissed you in the store."

It was the brunet's turn to redden as Roxas sniggered. He arched a brow at the other, saying smugly, "You were saying, Sora?"

Sora felt no need to dignify the other with an answer. Ven, however, felt differently, adding on to further his parent's humiliation (unknowingly, of course), "Or the way Mommy _and_ Daddy both looked this morning in the bathroom when Mommy accidentally tripped onto Daddy and you fell into the bath and sat there hugging." There was a small pause as Ven contemplated a small thought. "So, I guess that must mean that Mommy and Daddy are really, really, _really_ in love!" exclaimed Ven cheerily, obviously proud and content with the conclusion he had come to draw. As an after thought, he tagged on to the end, "Then, I hope that the prince doesn't fall in love with the princess."

Curious gazes fell upon the two boys whose faces were burning. A group of boys from nearby began to snicker and an elderly woman glared sharply at them. Sora wished that the ground beneath his feet would open up and swallow him whole as he felt his ears burn in embarrassment. It was not so much that everyone heard as it was the memory—although everyone around them hearing was pretty embarrassing too. And from beside him, Roxas could not have agreed more (although caring less about the strangers who had heard them).

Unsure of what to say, Roxas only hastened his pace ever so slightly as he remarked, "I say that we should all get some sea salt ice cream."

Sora could only nod his head vigorously in agreement. Ice cream sounded good and cold—hopefully cold enough so that the heat circling his cheeks, ears, and neck would go away.

"Sea salt ice cream?"

Roxas blinked down at Ven who had his eyes scrunched in confusion. There was a small moment of silence before the older blond asked, "Ven. Have you ever eaten sea salt ice cream before?"

Ven shook his head.

Somewhere, Roxas died a little on the inside and judging by the way of how Sora was snickering, the brunet knew too. Roxas's reaction had been quite the same when Sora had first informed him that no, he had never tasted sea salt ice cream before. It was quickly remedied, however, with a hasty, emergency trip to the ice cream store and the brunet had a feeling that this time would be no different.

"We're going to get some sea salt ice cream. _Now,"_ growled the blond, tugging the two along. No son of his was going to go throughout even one more second of his life without tasting the pure bliss of sea salt ice cream. With just a few steps, Roxas had the two sit down at a bench next to the bookstore in Station Heights, promptly disappearing to fetch them the chilled treats.

Kicking his feet back and forth, Ven puffed out his cheeks, before saying solemnly, "Mommy."

Sora glanced over at the boy with a smile, "Yeah, Ven?"

"Does Uncle Axel like Daddy?"

The brunet gurgled a little, eyes wide as he sputtered, "Wh-what're you talking about, Ven? Of course Uncle Axel likes Daddy. Uh, the two of them are best friends. Like me and Uncle Riku and Aunt Kairi."

Ven rolled his eyes childishly at the other's less than acceptable answer, saying with a pout, "Mommy, I know _that._ I mean, does Uncle Axel like-like Daddy the way Mommy loves Daddy? And Daddy loves Mommy?"

"Uh…uh…"

Sora continued to splutter, completely at a loss of words. What exactly was he supposed to say to such a question? Hell, why was Ven even _asking_ such a question? Kids his age weren't supposed to be so observant and so…so… Where was Roxas with that freakin' ice cream!?

Finding that he would not be rescued from having to answer the dreaded question, Sora tongued his cheek, giving some serious though to his answer. He didn't want to lie to Ven any more than necessary, even if it meant having to say that his Uncle may potentially hold feelings for his Dad. He knew that Axel was special to Roxas as Roxas was special to Axel. The two of them were like himself and Riku. But that didn't necessarily mean that Axel _liked_ Roxas in that way. After all, he didn't like Riku like that, and he was almost positive that Riku didn't like like him like that either. But then again, there was the possibility of Axel like liking Roxas but of Roxas not like liking Axel or the other way around of Roxas like liking Axel like that but Axel not like liking Roxas in that way. Or maybe, Axel liked Roxas in that way and Roxas liked Axel like that and the two were like liking each other like that.

Sora paused in midst of his ponderings, head aching slightly. His eyes were screwed and his face scrunched as he tried to make sense of what his brain had just painfully told him. His head was swimming with likes like and likes this and likes that and like likes. It was just confusing and there were way too many 'likes' for his comfort to actually be processed and comprehensible. Shaking his head, the Keyblade wielder offered, perplexed, "I really don't know, Ven. I never really noticed. But, uh, why do you ask?"

He frowned, face wrinkling in thought as he tried to find a way to express and communicate his thoughts to his parent. "I like Uncle Axel."

"I do too, Ven."

"He's funny, weird, and has really funny red hair and really green eyes."

"That he does."

"And he doesn't pinch my cheeks."

"No, he doesn't."

Face wrinkling some more and arms crossing, Ven finally said almost dourly, very much resembling another certain blond that Sora knew of to be buying ice cream at the moment, "But Uncle Axel pays too much attention to Daddy. He looks at Daddy too much and smiles at him a lot too. Kinda like the prince's friend did to the prince in that book."

Sora choked on a combination of air and his own spit.

"Wh-what!?"

Turning to face the coughing brunet, Ven relayed as-matter-of-factly, "The prince's friend in the book I was reading would pay a lot of attention to the prince, like Uncle Axel does to Daddy. And the prince's friend smiled at the prince a lot and talked with him alone a lot and did a lot of things together with him. I think he wants to kiss the prince and love him. And I think the princess knows that which is why she doesn't really like the prince's friend and why the prince's friend doesn't like her very much either."

Gaping, Sora nearly clamored, "_Wh-wh-what!? T-the book?" _

Ven nodded, rummaging through a few of the bags before pulling out the book he had been reading earlier at the store. Sora nearly snatched the offending material out of the boy's hand, flipping through the pages with wide eyes and a slacked jaw. Sure enough, there were more than a little not-so-subtle hints printed in plain words about the prince's friend and the aforementioned habits that Ven had described earlier when talking about Axel and Roxas.

Oh, god.

Axel and Roxas.

Sora fell back against the wooden frame of the bench, oceanic optics wide and mouth opened for all the flies of the world to come in. His hand had dropped limply to his side as the book laid open in his lap (on the page where the prince's friend and the princess seemed to be having a heated argument). There were so many thoughts running through his blank mind, Sora wasn't exactly sure which ones were real. For starters, however, he would have to pay these _fairy tale_ writers and publishers a visit to discuss the…necessity of such adult-themes added on into the _children's_ books. Then, after that…well, Sora didn't exactly want to deal with anything after that. Especially not with after seeing Axel and Roxas and their relationship come into a whole new light, thanks to Ven.

"Mommy?"

Perhaps he was just overreacting?

"Back with the ice cream."

But then again, the two always _were_ really, really, really, _really_ close. Like…inseparably close. Like, joined at the hip close. Like an abnormal growth attached to them close.

"Sora? You okay?"

But he and Riku were that close too! Did that mean… Sora screwed his eyes at the thought, violently stopping the train of thought from going any further. He refused to lay down any more tracks for it to keep running.

"Mommy?? Are you in there?"

And to think! It was _Ven_ who had noticed all this! It was Ven who had been able to point this all out despite his short time with them all! Was he really that much of an oblivious idiot like everyone claimed him to be? Was he really fooled _that easily? _

"While Sora's stuck in dreamland, here you go, Ven. And I guess I'll just have to eat Sora's since it'll melt by the time he's snapped out of it," shrugged Roxas, sitting down with the bright blue popsicle in his hand. He watched as Ven took a curious and tentative lick of the salty sweet flavor, already popping his own into his mouth. Ven smacked his lips together thoughtfully, letting the strange taste spread on his palate before gazing up at his father who stared down at the boy with a quirked brow.

"I like it," beamed Ven, giving a nod of approval.

Roxas grinned, ruffling the boy's spikes with a chuckle. "I like it, too."

And poor Sora remained completely oblivious to the proceedings of the outside world. Especially to the fact that Ven had completely forgotten about his question and was know happily munching on his ice cream, making a slight mess. Roxas rolled his eyes fondly, wiping away the blue color from the boy's mouth with a napkin. Momentarily taking the ice cream in his other hand, the Nobody wiped Ven's hand clean and wrapped the wooden stick in a spare napkin before giving it back to the smaller boy. The boy just grinned in thanks before working on finishing the ice cream.

Roxas turned to Sora who had developed a small spasm in his right eye. Poking his cheek, the blond was given no response in return. "Hm, did something happen to Sora while I was gone, Ven?"

Ven shook his head innocently, finger poking the brunet's stomach with the same results. "Nope. Mommy was just looking through this book and became like this."

"Book?"

The little boy nodded, pointing to the bounded pages in the other's lap. "Yup. Book. You should read it with Mommy later, Daddy," recommended the blond with a silly smile that had Roxas smiling back. "After I finish it though, because I still don't know if the prince loves the princess or not. I really hope he doesn't."

This brought a small chuckle from Roxas who couldn't help himself. "Why not?"

"Because Daddy! The prince doesn't like the princess!" Ven exclaimed as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "At least, not the way that you're supposed to like someone when you want to kiss them. He didn't look happy at all with the princess."

Roxas blinked, wondering just how bright and perceptive their child was. To be able to notice such a thing in a fairy tale? Finishing off his sea salt ice cream, he asked, "Are you sure, Ven?"

"Uh-huh. Because the prince and princess are nothing like you and Mommy."

The former Organization member contemplated over this before ruffling Ven's hair which prompted a pout from the smaller boy. "Well, that's probably because Sora and I are a bit different from your usual prince and princess," he explained, moving on to eating the brunet's ice cream. After all, there was really no point in wasting a perfectly good sea salt ice cream, right?

"I don't think so…" pouted Ven, giggling when Roxas poked him in the stomach. However, he suddenly sat up straight, exclaiming excitedly, "Oh, I get it! It's because Mommy and Daddy love each other waaaay more than a prince and princess ever could, right?"

Roxas coughed slightly, distractedly sticking the untouched ice cream into Sora's wide open mouth, "Uh, right."

This seemed to satisfy the smaller blond who grinned toothily. "I think so too!"

Roxas wasn't exactly sure what to think as he wiped his hands clean on a fresh napkin, the squawks about ice cream being cold and yelps about sticking popsicles into people's mouths when they're dazed falling onto deaf ears. A consultation with the book was in order.

"Roxas! Are you even listening to me?!"

Well, later at least.

* * *

"Talk about overkill," muttered Roxas, groaning quietly as he shifted his weight to the other foot. In his arms was a slumbering Ven, the boy having fallen asleep at the last store they had visited in accordance with Sora's list. It had been a long and tiring day for all of them, and each were eager to get back to the coziness of their home.

Sora laughed softly from beside, his own hands full of shopping bags. "At least on the bright side, we probably won't have to go shopping again any time soon."

"I'm never going shopping again if I can help it," he remarked grumpily, glancing down at Ven's lax face, peaceful with sleep. His mouth twitched into a smile at the sight, arms readjusting under the boy's weight. Silence washed over the two in a comfortable manner as they gazed at Ven with love that only a parent could ever hold.

"I still can't get used to the fact that Ven's actually our child," admitted Sora softly, their shoulders bumping together as they walked. Roxas questioningly quirked a brow to which Sora elaborated almost sheepishly. "I mean, I always thought about what it would be like to have a kid—don't make fun of me, it was Kairi's fault!—and now that we have Ven, it seems…surreal. Almost like it's too good to be true."

Roxas remained silent, allowing Sora to continue.

"This may sound a little stupid since it's only been like a week and a half since we found Ven, but it feels like he's been with us forever. I can't imagine living without him anymore. It's weird, huh? I guess this is what it must feel like being a parent." Sora paused momentarily to give the other a goofy grin to which Roxas responded in like with a smile. "Ya know, I sometimes wonder if I'm being a good parent to Ven. I mean, you're a really great dad, Roxas, so you've got nothing to worry about. But as for me, I'm not so sure. Sometimes I feel like I can't give enough to Ven. Like no matter what I do, it'll still always be lacking."

"Sora, you're an idiot."

"Wh-huh?"

Staring straight ahead, he elucidated, "For doubting yourself. You're more than a capable parent. And you said it yourself, didn't you? That what Ven needed the most was a family. And he has one now thanks to you. And he has all the love that he deserves and needs and than some. Sora, you love Ven with your entire being and to him, I'm sure that's more than enough. Just staying by him and being a family and loving him, there's no one else that can do that but you Sora."

A small pause wedged its way between the two Keyblade wielders before Sora added, "And you. After all, you are the dad in this family."

"Just like how you're the mom."

Sora grinned, doubts washed away thanks to the blond. He touched their arms together in a gesture of thanks and Roxas just nodded, blowing into the other's eyes which fell shut. Sora whined softly, blowing a raspberry in retaliation as they climbed up the stairs to their apartment.

"Ah, I don't have my keys," panicked Sora quietly, patting his pockets after setting down the multiples of bags. He turned to Roxas with wide eyes. "I think I left them at home!"

"My keys are in my pocket," the Nobody shrugged, eyes rolling. "Though, you'll probably have to get them out, Sora, since I'm holding on to Ven."

Laughing nervously, the brunet reached into the other's pocket, causing Roxas to squirm slightly as he dug around for the set of metal keys. His face was tinted with pink as his hand groped around the former Organization member's pocket. Sora felt distinctly like a pervert as his fingers clasped around the house key he had been searching for. Quickly withdrawing his hand from Roxas's pocket, he found the blond a darker shade of red as well. In an attempt to smother the sudden awkwardness of the situation, he held up the key with a small grin, "Found it! They really need to make keys bigger like the Keyblade or something, ha ha ha."

"Y-yeah."

The two stumbled into the home, tired and embarrassed. Slipping their shoes off, Sora deposited all the bags onto the floor before following Roxas to tuck in Ven. They had turned Sora's room into the smaller blond's bedroom (hence the cleanliness) while getting a larger bed for Roxas's room for the couple to share (hence the messiness of the once clean room).

As Sora pulled back the covers, Roxas laid the boy down with a gentle carefulness that was rarely seen. He tugged off the other's shoes while Sora worked on redressing Ven into pajamas. Their hands bumped as they worked, giving an apologetic smile with each accidental touch.

"I'm really getting used to this," smiled Sora, brushing his fingers across Roxas's knuckles quite purposely. He pulled the blankets up to Ven's chin, smoothing out the creases before leaning over to place a small kiss onto his forehead. Roxas followed suit, pulling back to reclaim his spot next to Sora. They stood just a little bit too close, elbows colliding and fingers skimming each other's hands with every light brush.

Roxas just dipped his head into a nod, feeling Sora's weight leaning against his side. The brunet's head dropped onto his shoulder, brown spikes tickling his chin. A yawn stretched his mouth as he sleepily dug his nose into the other's neck with a content sigh. Inhaling, he uttered incoherently, "You smell nice…"

"Do I?"

"Mh-hm…"

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me now," Roxas mumbled amusedly, his weight sagging. When Sora just hummed in response, the blond took a firm hold of the other, arms hooking around his back and locking at his waist. "Geez, like mother, like son."

The blond led the dozing boy to their bedroom, supporting much of his weight as he sat down onto the bed with Sora as well. The young Keyblade master sprawled across the mattress, entangling himself in the blankets and unwittingly kicking Roxas in the process. He threw the sleeping boy a dirty glare before standing back up. As retribution, he pinched the other's nose, satisfied at the distorted whine. However, instead of pulling back, Roxas inadvertently placed a very soft kiss to the tip of his nose. He reeled back, surprised with himself.

"I'm becoming way too comfortable with this," murmured Roxas with a sigh, hand running through his golden spikes as his crystal blues landed on Sora. Shaking his head, he delved through the bags until finding the book from earlier and padded softly out of the room, switching off the lights.

From inside, Sora's eyelids fluttered open as his fingers lightly swept across his nose. His blue eyes shone brightly in the iridescent glow of the moonlight, glimmering uncertainly.

* * *

_As the sun began to sink low beneath the horizon and the hues of orange and red tinged together, Noctis stared out across the vast expanse of the roaring ocean before them. His hand was tugged on and the boy fell onto the soft sand, blue eyes regarding his new friend questioningly. _

"_It's sunset," stated Lucis with a faraway gleam in his eyes now tainted with the swirls of red and orange. "I always like watching the sunset." _

_Noctis did not speak, turning his own eyes back to the glowing ball of fire. Sparkles erupted across the ocean as each wave caught the rays of the fading sun. A frown tugged at his lips as he watched the sun slowly being swallowed by the ocean. Fingers digging through the sand, Noctis spoke carefully, "It looks like the sun is dying." _

_Lucis sharply turned to his over to the brunet, mouth quirked inquiringly. _

_Suddenly mindful of the other boy's gaze on him, Noctis began to absently play with the sand, explaining, "I mean, because the light is fading away and the sun is sinking into the ocean. It just kinda looks like the sun is dying." There was a pause before he admitted very quietly, "I don't like it." _

_Taking in the other's words, Lucis hummed thoughtfully before saying, "That does make sense. But I kinda see it as the sun just going to be reborn. It may be fading away right now, but tomorrow morning, it'll be reborn again." _

"_It's still a little sad." _

"_Yeah." _

_As the light gleamed off the surface of the water, Lucis rose to his feet, hand outstretched to Noctis who gladly clasped it within his own. Their melded hands were both moist from sweat and warm, gritty particles of sand clinging desperately to their flesh. He smiled at the unique feel as did Lucis. _

"_But it'll be reborn anew tomorrow!" _

"Daddy?"

Roxas glanced up from the printed words on the page to find a sleepy Ven rubbing at his eyes with the palms of his hands. The book laid forgotten on the table as Ven climbed onto his lap (with some help, of course). He yawned, snuggling into Roxas's warmth as he ruffled the boy's hair affectionately.

"Something wrong, Ven?"

He shook his head with some difficulty, eyelids drooping. Voice still thick with sleep, he murmured instead, "You should go to sleep, Daddy."

"You should already be asleep," countered Roxas lightly.

"Both of you should be in bed, asleep. Now."

The two blonds glanced up to find a disheveled and drowsy Sora standing in the kitchen, barefoot and hand on his hip. To emphasize his words, he pointed in the general direction of their bedrooms with an expecting brow raised.

"Uh-oh," giggled Ven even in his half asleep state. "Mommy caught us."

Roxas just grinned. Did Sora even realize how much like a mom he sounded like at that moment? Judging by the way he swayed, the blond was guessing not. Chuckling, he got up, holding onto Ven's hand as he remarked, "Mommy's just mad because he's losing his beauty sleep."

Predictably, Sora whined, taking Ven's other hand in his own, "I am _not_ a woman. If anything, Roxas, I still say you should be the mom seeing as to how—"

Roxas leaned over to plant a chaste kiss on the other's cheek which immediately flushed red. Ven cheered while Sora blushed.

"_That's_ why you're the mom and _I'm_ the dad."

Sora spluttered. Then squawked. Then downright pouted.

And Roxas smirked overbearingly.

Ven just beamed at his parents, declaring, "Mommy and Daddy are definitely _waaaaaaaaayy _more in love than the prince and princess."

* * *

A/N: I had no idea where I was going while writing this chapter XD It just kinda…happened. Still trying to take things slow with Roxas and Sora though. Anyways, the little stories that Roxas and Ven were reading will be continued a little at a time with each chapter. Oh, yes, Noctis means 'night' in Latin and Lucis means 'day' in Latin more or less.

Thank yooh to all who reviewed! You guys are friggin' amazing and just completely make my day :33 Thanks goes out to everyone who added this story to their alerts/favorites lists!


	5. How to Beat a Carnival

- -

- - -

**Third Lullaby: How to Beat a Carnival**

_spoken so Softly with time_

_our wish Fades into an eternal Sleep_

- - -

- -

"No."

"Aw, Roxas, c'mon. Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please, Rox? You can't say no!"

"No."

Sora huffed loudly, cheeks puffed out indignantly as he stared unrelentingly at the blond. Roxas did not budge, evenly returning the stare as his brow rose in that no-nonsense sort of way. The brunet just huffed again, lower lip jutting out into a pout. "But _Roxas,_" whined Sora, his eyes gleaming.

Roxas could feel his resolve crumbling right before his own eyes at the sight of the other. Inwardly, he cringed. Regardless, crossing his arms, he stubbornly remarked, although the wavering of his voice did not go unmissed by the other boy, "No, Sora.

Taking a different approach, Sora drew back, saying with an exaggerated sigh, "Fine, Rox. You win. But what am I going to tell poor Ven. He was _reeeeaaally _looking forward to going, too. He'll be crushed. And it'll be all your fault, Roxas. But I mean, maybe he'll understand that we aren't going because _Daddy_ is a jerk that won't budge. Since _you're_ the one that's absolutely refusing to go. I hope he doesn't start cry—"

"I get it! I get it already! Fine! I'll go! We'll all go!" snapped Roxas, looking rightfully irritated. He glared sullenly at Sora who grinned victoriously. One day, he would win. Just not today either. "Cheater."

"It's called using my head," laughed Sora, tapping the other's forehead and waltzing away to find their child and inform him of the good news.

The blond sighed, shaking his head as his eyes caught to the sight of the seemingly harmless flyer advertising a carnival which _'…includes rides, food, wholesome family entertainment, and karaoke!'_

Glaring at the paper, he accused sullenly, "Stupid flyer."

Roxas was never one for parties or carnival of the sort. He despised being around crowds quite honestly. It was too noisy, too dirty, and just plain too crowded. The blond would have much preferred spending an evening inside, doing nothing of much importance rather than going out and belting out songs for karaoke and sliding down inflatable playgrounds.

He groaned softly, plopping down onto the couch with a hand held to his head. Upon hearing the excited cheers from Ven's room, however, Roxas gave a small smile before settling down comfortably onto the couch. His eyes roamed over to the slim cover of the book from before and with careful fingers, the blond picked it up, flipping to the page where he had left off.

_Now, the days of summer passed by with glee and bliss as the two boys played every day, meeting by the beach and spending the rest of the sunlight together. Day and night, without fail, the two would spend every waking moment in each other's company. They had become friends. They had become best friends; inseparable._

_Sadly, these joyful days of delight could not last forever and time slowly began to run short, thinning out just as the days of summer began to wane. It all began on a warm summer afternoon. _

"_Hey, Lucis?"_

_The blond glanced up from his perch on the rock, the shine from the waters below sparkling in his own blue optics. With a goofy smile, Lucis cocked his head and hummed, "Hm?" _

_Noctis dug his toes into the sand, mouth set into a small frown as he brooded over his own words, brows furrowed in a childish manner. "The two of us…" he stopped, licking his lips and glancing up uncertainly, "we'll always be friends, no matter what, right?" _

"_Duh, silly. We're best friends! Nothing can stop that!" chirped Lucis with a playful tsk. He flicked Noctis' nose, laughing when the boy rubbed at it sorely with a pout. _

"_Even if," Noctis began once more, blue eyes staring at the other, "one of us went far away somewhere and we could never see each other again? Would we still be best friends? We wouldn't forget each other?" _

_Lucis frowned for a few seconds as he contemplated his answer, fingers drumming against his cheek thoughtfully. "Well, there's no promise that we wouldn't forget each other, but that doesn't mean that we wouldn't be best friends. Even if one of us went far away and we could never see each other again and we forgot about each other, we would still be best friends because no matter what, we'll always be in each other's hearts. We don't have to see each other every day to be best friends. You'll always have a place in my heart so that someday, when we meet again, it'll be like we never parted. But, why do you ask, Noct?" _

_The brunet wiped at his eyes with the insides of his wrist, sniffling slightly. _

"_Noctis?" _

"_I'm…" Noctis swallowed down a hiccup, eyes growing watery, "I'm leaving. Tomorrow is my last day here in this town, on this island." _

_Lucis stood to his feet, eyes wide and slack jawed. Taking a tentative step over towards Noctis, he questioned, "You're…leaving?" _

_A small dip of the head answered his question and Lucis bit his cheek. _

"_Why? Where're you going?" _

"_I don't know why or where. No one will tell me anything. Just that I'm leaving and tomorrow is my last day," answered the brunet, twisting his fingers as he glanced up through the curtain of long lashes. _

_The sound of the ocean filled in the cracks of silence as Lucis struggled for the right words to convey what he had wanted to say. Instead, he grabbed the other's hand and said, rightfully blabbing, "Then, let's spend all of tomorrow together, okay? So that we'll have a lot more memories together and so that you'll have more memories to take with you!" _

_Noctis just nodded, wiping at his eyes with a watery smile. _

"_Yeah." _

"Roxas, time to go!"

The blond glanced up, brow raised questioningly as he caught sight of the energetic teen standing before him, Ven holding his hand with an equally bright smile. The resemblance was uncanny and the megawatt smile had Roxas squinting.

"Yeah, let's go, Daddy!" giggled Ven, tugging at Sora's hand.

Roxas pushed himself up from the couch, azure eyes widening just a fraction as Sora slipped his free hand into his own. The brunet seemed unaware of the involuntary action, but the touch was so natural and pleasant, that Roxas said nothing, only giving the hand a small squeeze as their fingers locked together. Naturally, the younger blond noticed this and stifled a small giggle behind his hand as they walked.

The giggle quickly dissolved into a gasp of awe, blue eyes large and absolutely _sparkling_. Every part of the town had been decorated for the carnival, bright lights flashing and delicious scents wafting from every corner. It was awe inspiring for the small boy who had never seen such a sight in his life. And his reaction to the carnival was absolutely priceless to his two guardians who had never seen such an expression in their lives. It warmed their hearts, greatly.

"Welcome to your very first carnival, Ven," said Sora with a bright smile, looking down at him.

Ven was left speechless, attention still held captive by the sights. It took a few more minutes for him to snap out of his daze, turning back to his parents who blinked down curiously at him.

"Can we go on _that_?" Two pairs of blue hues followed his finger to the sight of bumper cars. Sora, Roxas decided, had gotten an unquestionably devious look in his eyes.

Five minutes later, Roxas had gotten the confirmation that he didn't need as Sora mercilessly slammed his car into the blond's with an all too innocent smile. He scowled, trying to reverse away from the Keybearer who too cheerfully backed away to ram into another poor soul. Geez, whoever would have guessed that _Sora_ was a demon when it came to bumper cars?

Roxas was jerked forward again as another car collided with the back of his. He craned his head to find Ven smiling at him with a giggly wave.

Scratch that. Who would have guessed that _Ven_ was as much of a demon as his mother when it came to bumper cars?

"Having a little trouble, Roxy?" Sora's voice sailed through the air. And so did his car, crashing into him. Again. For the who knew how many times!

"This is _completely_ unfair," Roxas muttered under his breath, trapped by both Sora and Ven who were ramming into him without care. The crowd and other players hooted and cheered the two on, even after the ride ended. And when they were nearing the exit, Roxas sulking just a little (he _had_ just been the victim of both Sora's and Ven's bumper cars skills), he let the sulk drop only because of the ridiculously dopey smile on Sora's lips and the preposterously goofy one on Ven's.

"You _totally_ suck at bumper cars, Rox," Sora stated cheerfully, laughter bubbling from his throat.

Roxas pinched the boy's nose with a smile, and Ven cheered as Sora sneezed.

-

"I'm dizzy," proclaimed the smaller blond, smiling though. They had just gotten off the Tilt-a-Whirl, eyes swirling and steps missing. Roxas didn't think he could get rid of his quadruple vision as he woozily took another step forward. It didn't help that Sora was leaning against him, moaning softly against his throat.

"I think I'm gonna puke," he commented, earning a small panicked glare from Roxas.

"Don't you dare!"

Sora whined, reminding the blond of an overgrown puppy.

"Can we eat?" chimed in Ven. The boy hardly seemed as affected by the dizziness-induced ride as they were.

Roxas ruffled his hair, earning a small pout from the younger boy, before saying, "Sure. What do you want?" He figured that Sora, and himself, could use a break to recuperate. Damn those swirly rides.

"Ice cream!"

Sora didn't bother to cover his pointed giggle at how Roxas-like the answer was despite the wave of nauseous that it caused to lurch in his stomach. He slumped against Roxas again, burying his head against the junction of his neck and shoulder. With a roll of his eyes at the brunet, Roxas led them over to an ice cream vendor, carefully depositing Sora onto a bench.

"Okay, Ven, what do you want?"

Blue eyes stared intently at the menu, studying it. The younger boy had come with him to order, proud of his independence.

"I want a waffle with ice cream," decided Ven, looking rather happy with himself. "Sea salt ice cream."

Roxas shared a grin with him (dear Ven was learning so fast) before ordering. A waffle with sea salt ice cream inside for Ven and two sea salt ice cream cones for himself and Sora. The brunet gratefully accepted the cold treat, still slightly nauseous.

"Can we go play some games after we eat?" Ven looked up at them with wide, questioning eyes, taking a careful bite of his waffle to keep the ice cream from falling out.

It was Sora who answered, licking a trail of melted ice cream from the knuckle to the tip of his finger. "Only if we don't go on the Tilt-a-Whirl ride anymore," he compromised, a serious look adorning his face but completely ruined at the last minute by another lick of his ice cream. (They had gone on the Tilt-a-Whirl three times. Consecutively.)

Ven, bless his heart, pretended to think, cheeks puffed and eyes drawn upward as he held his chin in his hand. "Hmm…Okay! Deal."

The Nobody shook his head with a smile at the two as he polished off the rest of his ice cream.

"Roxy," grinned Sora, paying no attention to the pointed scowl at the cutesy nickname, "I hope you're good at games."

"Games?" Roxas quirked a brow. "Why?"

Sora gave another lick, letting his tongue drag in an aimless path and create valleys in the frozen treat. Mouth smiling, he remarked, "Because you're so winning me and Ven something, since you're the dad after all. It's not that hard, _right Dad_?"

The challenging smile only accentuated the competitive nature in Roxas. He was never one to back down from a challenge.

"Of course it's not, _Mom_," accepted Roxas with a friendly curl of his lips. The blond would be sure to make Sora eat his own words in the following ten minutes; just a little playful pay back for the horrible experience with bumper cars.

And sure enough, when blue eyes spotted the Balloon Dart Throw game, Sora crooked his brow at Roxas expectantly, grinning. "Well, Rox?"

"Balloon Dart Throw? This is way too easy, Sora," the blond returned, picking up a dart nevertheless. He threw it with ease, launching it through the air and onto a pink balloon. It popped to reveal a picture of their prize: a Struggle bat.

"Yay Daddy!"

Roxas made sure to smile at the pouting brunet, just a hint of smug decorating his demeanor, as he passed him the bat. Not the greatest of prizes, but still enough to stick into the boy's face.

Sticking his tongue out at the teen, Sora tapped his chin thoughtfully before crying out, "I know! Let's go check out the dunk tank!"

With a bit of navigating and swimming in and out of the crowds, the three found the dunk tank, an irritated Riku sitting on the platform with a frown. From the looks of it, the drenched silver hair and soaked clothes, he had already fallen quite a number of times. The grin on Sora's lip threatened to split, as he exclaimed, "Riku!? _You're_ the one that we get to dunk?"

Riku's head snapped over to the happy family of three, moaning inwardly. "That would be me," he answered with a grimace and a sigh, "Kairi signed me up and _conveniently_ forgot to tell me until we got here."

"Uncle Riku!" chirped Ven, waving at the silver headed teen who gave a wave back…before splashing back down into the water. "Ah, Uncle Riku likes swimming?"

Sora grinned, "Yes, he does."

Roxas couldn't hold back the snigger as Riku resurfaced, strands of his long hair clinging to his face, and tried to wipe the water from his eyes. This was just too perfect of an opportunity to pass up.

"Ven, do you want to try and dunk Uncle Riku into the water?" he asked, grinning shamelessly. Riku threw the blond Nobody a glare…until he was sent back into the water.

Big blue eyes swept from Riku to Roxas. His head bobbed in a nod.

"Okay then. Now, just throw the ball and hit that target over there, okay, Ven?" instructed Roxas far too gleefully, handing over the ball to Ven who turned to face the target. It wasn't as if he didn't like Riku and still held a grudge against him. Roxas just…wanted Ven to have a fun experience. Even if it meant a rather wet suffering on Riku's part. Surely Riku would understand, being Ven's uncle and all. Besides, it looked more like Sora was the most eager of them to dunk his best friend into the cold waters.

Ven wrinkled his nose a little as his eyebrows furrowed together in concentration. Staring at the target through narrowed eyes, he lifted his arm and threw the ball straight ahead………and right into the target. Riku didn't even have time to splutter as he was dropped into the water, again; for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night. Ugh, he was going to get back at Kairi for this.

"I got it!"

"Good job, Ven!!" giggled Sora gleefully, giving him a tight hug and a quick peck on the forehead. "I knew you could do it!"

"Getting Uncle Riku all wet is fun!" he exclaimed with a giggle behind his hand.

Roxas ruffled his hair between the laughs with a smirk, "I bet it is. But I'm sure that Uncle Riku doesn't mind at all, right?"

The silver haired teen glared, saying through gritted teeth, "Of course not."

And with that questionable affirmation, the youngest of them cried happily, "Let's do it again!!"

-

The three of them left the dunk tank after eight more dunks for Riku and a friendly wave. The older teen had looked about ready to throw the balls right back at Sora and Roxas by the end of it. Another dunk into the cool waters, however, stopped that quite efficiently.

"Who would have thought that dunking Riku would be so much fun?" smirked Roxas, still snickering between breaths.

"It was really funny," nodded Ven, beaming merrily. Riku was climbing high up on the blond's list of people he liked pretty quickly thanks to that display. "He was all wet and funny, especially those faces he made after someone dunked him."

Sora guffawed at the memory, swinging his joined hands with Ven. Roxas held the smaller boy's other hand, completing their family line.

"Ah! That's right!" Sora straightened up, face lighting up. "Hey, I know a game that you _definitely_ can't win at, Roxas!" His finger pointed to a rather populated area as blue eyes made out the sign in the bright lights of the carnival. Rope Ladder? What was the Rope Ladder game?

They made their way over to the ever popular challenge, just in time to see one of the Twilight Town residents fall flat onto their back, laughing good naturedly despite his loss.

"You climb a ladder?" questioned Roxas, watching as another contestant tried and failed, the rope pivoting until the person was swung fully around and onto the underside of the ladder. He let go, falling back onto the air-filled cushioning.

"Think you can do it?"

The implication was just too clear.

With a snort and a roll of his eyes, Roxas took a step forward, but not before saying with a touch of confidence, "Watch me."

"C'mon, Ven. Let's root for Daddy and watch when he falls off the ladder," Sora smiled sweetly, fingers waving at the blond who gave a pointed stare at the brunet before eying the roped ladder almost uncertainly.

"Go, go Daddy!" cheered Ven, eyes wide with anticipation.

Roxas gripped the ladder, studying how it swayed and twisted with just a single foot on the bottom rung before climbing on. His feet didn't even bother to touch the rungs, instead pushing against the sides of the rope. Shifting his weight, the thirteenth member began to climb. As he carefully placed his weight on his opposing limbs, he climbed up and up, hand reaching out to give the bell a merry ring.

"We have a winner!!"

"…NO WAY!"

"I knew you could do it, Daddy!"

With a grin, he slid down, accepting his prize of a large stuffed moogle.

"I can't _believe_ you were able to climb the ladder!" moaned Sora, eyes wide.

Roxas leaned forward to flick his nose, tone just a pitch high with pride as he countered, "I can't believe you didn't think I couldn't do it."

As Sora made a face, Roxas turned towards Ven, crouching down with a cheerful gleam in his sapphire orbs. "Here you go, Ven. I won him just for you," remarked Roxas, presenting the large moogle to Ven who squealed with pure joy at the gift. He wasn't quite prepared, however, for arms to wrap around his neck in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Daddy!! I'll love him forever and forever!" Arms wrapped around the much too oversized moogle as well, Ven hugged both the older blond and the doll again, giggling and smiling so infectiously, Roxas couldn't help but join in. After looping an arm around Sora first, of course.

The moment was so tender, Roxas was unable to put out the thought of family from his mind. If this was what being a family was about, he didn't mind it so much; even if they were far more unusual than the normal family.

Cheek pressed against the white fabric of his newly acquired moogle doll, Ven said with childish glee, eyes sparkling, "Let's play one more game, Daddy! You still need to win Mommy a prize too."

The chance was too good to pass up as a pout spread across Sora's lips. His eyes were wide with a familiar look of a kicked puppy. "Yeah, Roxy. You're not going to get anything for me?"

Roxas _knew_ that look anywhere. And what usually happened afterwards, as well. He backed away slightly with a nervous chuckle, mouth twitching with each sound pulled from his throat. "Uh, I never said anything like that, Sora."

The pout was quickly replaced with a much too realistic innocent smile, however, as his eyes glazed over in the direction behind the blond. "O—kay, then. You don't mind a friendly challenge, right Rox?"

The raised brow was answer enough for the Keybearer who quickly dragged both blonds over to another stall: Basketball Free Throw.

"Winner gets one wish from the loser tonight!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Instead of getting each other prizes."

"Mommy and Daddy are gonna go against each other?"

"We're just having a little friendly competition, Ven," smiled Roxas, patting the boy's head and mussing his spikes.

Ven flashed his teeth in a large smile, "Oo-kay! Go Mommy and Daddy! I hope you _both_ win!"

It went without saying that the person with the most points won. As they each took a basketball into their hands, the attendant blew the whistle. Sora immediately threw his basketball, grinning when it swished straight through the net without any excess motions. He had played this game so many times with Riku back on Destiny Islands. After scoring three more baskets, Sora passed a glance over at Roxas. His mouth dropped.

Roxas was up by four more baskets.

And there was only ten more seconds left!

"…four……three……two……one……TIME!"

The final score had been eleven for Sora and twelve for Roxas.

"No way! I lost?" Sora puffed his cheeks as his brows knitted together. The sight had Ven giggling and Roxas grinning.

"_That_ was pay back for the bumper cars," the Nobody smirked, tweaking the defeated brunet's nose. Again. Roxas did, however, hand over the other moogle doll that he won to Sora with a shrug and a small smile. It was a gesture that had Sora beaming, a blush rising against his cheeks.

"Thanks, Rox." And with a quick look around, Sora placed a small kiss against his cheek.

The smaller blond couldn't have thought of a better prize that his mom could have given his dad for winning, and his dad to his mom just because.

* * *

A/N: A bit OOC and a lot anticlimactic, unfortunately. Not too happy with this chapter D: Anyways, sorry for the half a year disappearance! I meant to update earlier, but stuff (read: crap) came up and blah blah blah. I'll definitely try to make more updates for this story because frankly, I like this story and I like writing it. :D I'll work really hard to update more frequently and not take so long, even if it does still take a while because six months is ridiculous —u—;

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And a thank you to everyone who put this story on their alerts/favorites list!


	6. Inflatable Playgrounds Beware

- -

- - -

**Third Bedtime Story: Inflatable Playgrounds Beware**

_dream, dream, dreaming away_

_You dream away All day and Night_

- - -

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A high-pitched squeal sounded from behind the mismatched family in the form of unintelligible squeaks of names, "Sora! Roxas! Ven!" Three heads turned to find a pretty redhead flouncing over towards them, waving excitedly. Behind her were three familiar males in tow, six, eight, and nine respectively. (Riku was preoccupied with the dunk tank, of course, until nine.)

"Kairi!"

Roxas inwardly hoped that she hadn't seen the little public display of misplaced affection. It would have been a pain to try and explain to the girl that he and Sora were not dating by any means of the sort. Especially since he had a feeling that she would only twist it into something far more to her liking, such as some sort of long standing relationship between the two of them that was only now surfacing because of Ven bringing them together.

If Kairi did see, she didn't comment, only coming to a stop just in front of them and grinning at the sight of the three, the older pair holding onto Ven's hands and forming a link. It was positively adorable, and she couldn't help the small noise of joy that escaped from her throat. Roxas swore, however, that he saw her smile curve a bit too assumingly for his tastes when her blue eyes landed on the moogles that were being clutched onto by Sora and Ven respectively. Oh, he could just hear the gears in her brain whirling and conjuring up some sort of impossible story.

"Roxas!"

The blond stared, blue eyes widening a fraction in surprise, "D-Demyx? Zexion? Axel? What are you three doing here?"

Demyx was all smiles as he exclaimed, "We're here for the carnival, duh. It seemed like too much fun to just stay at home. And of course, we heard about your kid, Roxas and wanted to meet him. So, where is he?" The other blond looked around eagerly, all smiles and eager anticipation.

Ven shuffled behind the Nobody a little, pulling Sora's hand along with the small movement. The brunet smiled at him, patting his head as he explained, "Don't be scared, Ven. Those two people are our friends too. They just want to meet you. Right guys?"

"Of course!" grinned Demyx, tropical blue eyes falling upon the smaller doppelganger of Roxas. He gave a friendly wave, coaxing the smaller boy just a few inches away from Roxas's back. "Wow, he's the spitting image of Roxas! Hey, my name's Demyx. And this guy here with the sour expression," he pointed towards Zexion who raised a brow at the finger, "is Zexion. What's your name?"

Clutching tighter onto his parents' hands, Ven answered softly, "Hi. I'm Ven."

"Ven, you're just too cute!" piped Kairi, pinching his cheek. Shaking away her pinching fingers, he pouted which only made her dissolve into a series of aw's. He still had yet to approve of cheek pinching, no matter how much of a sign of affection it was.

"He's so cute; like a smaller version of Roxas, only without the frowning and scowling!" the Melodious Nocturne pointed out, just as delighted as Kairi who nodded her head vigorously in agreement.

"Isn't he!?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. He didn't frown and scowl _that_ much. Well, not anymore at least. Well, not to his knowledge. Sora didn't comment about it as much as he used to, if that was anything to go by.

"Are you my uncles too?" inquired Ven, blinking at the two Nobodies who turned to regard one another with a stare; one blank, the other confused. It didn't take long, however, for Demyx to nearly split his lips with a smile so wide, it hurt.

"Yes, Ven, we're your uncles too! Uncle Demyx and Uncle Zexion!" Demyx exclaimed cheerfully, excited to become an 'uncle' to Roxas' and Sora's child. He nudged Zexion in the hollow below his ribs, and the slate haired Nobody rolled his eyes. It was his way of saying that he approved, as well, to becoming a part of the already aberrant family.

Ven smiled shyly at that, cheering a little as their family continued to expand. He really liked having aunts and uncles along with his mom and dad. Moving out of his hiding spot, Ven squealed a little, "Uncle Demyx and Uncle Zexion!" It only drew more comments from Kairi and Demyx who continued to gush over how adorable he was. Sora kept himself busy from trying to laugh when he saw the flummoxed expression on Zexion's face, clearly not amused and uncertain how to deal with a small child calling him 'uncle.'

"You're being unusually quiet," Roxas commented finally, turning to the lanky redhead with a raised brow while the others continued to chat. He frowned a little when Axel did nothing but shrug. It raised his concerns considerably. Axel was a vociferous person at core, always finding a way to sneak in snarky comments and his two cents to make conversations more enjoyable (and about a thousand times more annoying), so his sudden silence was unnerving, to say in the least for the blond. Roxas ventured forward, acting on his suspicions, "Is there something…wrong?"

Axel shook his head, a wily grin making its way to his lips. "Why, of course not, Roxy dear. What makes you think that? Just sitting here and enjoying the view."

"Is it Xemnas?"

He actually scowled a little at the mention of the Superior. No one enjoyed hearing it spoken, after all, since what followed afterwards was usually unpleasant news threatening their newfound happiness and life. "Please, Roxas, get your mind out of the shadows. I told you that I would warn you when he makes his big move. Right now, you should be more concerned with that—" he pointedly grabbed the blond by the shoulders and redirected him so that he could spot Sora and Ven, the latter pulling on Sora's hand to gain his attention, "—than with what the big baddy is up to. Besides, there hasn't even been a peep out of him, so don't you worry your pretty little head and keep your priorities straight."

With that all said and out of the way, Axel patted him on the head, grinning when Roxas slapped away his hand and glared. There was a feeling of relief, however, at the redhead's declarations. Roxas wasn't exactly sure he could have taken on Xemnas and the rest of the Organization in the current situation he was in.

"Daddy!" The childish call of his name burst Roxas out of his thoughts, and just in time too. Ven barreled into his legs, hugging him and looking up with owlish eyes. "Mommy says that you're going to get hit in the head with Oathkeeper if you keep spacing off and flirting with other people."

Roxas raised a brow, tilting his head upward to find Sora waiting a few meters away, arms crossed and mouth twitching. The sight was rather humorous to the blond who inclined his head back downward to face his child. "Really? Your mom said all that?" He found it a bit hard to believe that Sora would actually say such a thing to his own child, especially since they weren't even really…well, in that sort of relationship. Still humorous, though.

Ven scrunched his face before it broke out into a mischievous smile, "Well, sorta. Auntie Kairi told me to add that last part because she said that was the _real_ reason why mommy isn't very happy." He paused before adding, "And then mommy got really red."

For some odd reason, Roxas felt the need to grin at Ven's confession but opted to cough. Taking Ven's hand, he remarked, allowing a small smile, "We better go before mommy starts throwing those caramel apples at us."

"Won't the man selling them be mad?"

"Not as mad as mommy will be, so it'll be no match," smirked Roxas when Sora took a candied apple into hand.

-

Roxas was certain that he wanted to strangle the creator of such a dangerous mechanism. His body lurched forward as his arms flailed out to grab anything to keep him steady. Blue eyes shot a glance over at Sora, the boy three obstacles ahead, laughing and dodging the air-blown towers.

"C'mon, Daddy!" exclaimed Ven, a head of blond spikes popping up against the blue.

The blond managed a weak smile before crashing face first into another pole. Damn inflatable playgrounds.

Currently, Roxas found himself in the middle of a "field" of poles, trying to make his way through without being pummeled by them with each movement he made. It didn't help that the ground he was walking on was flopping one way and another, causing him to fall forward and back. He growled, finally making it out and running into a wall. Wonderful. _Another_ obstacle preventing him from escaping this balloon paradise!

Stumbling backwards, Roxas stared up, realizing that he had to climb over the monstrosity to reach the other side. With a quick dash, he jumped, only to slip and fall flat onto his face. He was really disliking these playgrounds more and more by the minute. Picking himself up, the blond shook his head, trying to think of a way up. He caught sight of indents, the perfect size for his hands and feet to use in order to reach the top. Roxas quickly scrambled up, losing his footing more than once before struggling to the top. However, he overestimated how wide the top perch would be and ended up falling to the other side with an "oomph!"

"I hate this place," he muttered darkly, staring up at the nighttime sky.

"You're not even halfway there, Rox! What's wrong, afraid of the big, bad inflatable playground?" teased Sora, already out and standing next to the oversized balloon. He grinned when blue eyes glared.

In a flash, Roxas was up on his feet, squeezing past the three large blocks and crawling over the two cylinders stacked up on one another. He fell onto his butt, annoyingly enough.

"Mommy!"

"You made it out, Ven! Good job!" Sora patted the boy's head, grinning.

"Where's Daddy?" asked the younger boy, beaming up at the brunet, cheeks red from joy.

Sora snickered as he pointed casually to the playground where Roxas was still tangled within. "Somewhere there. Come on Ven. Let's go wait for Daddy at the exit. If he ever makes it out that is."

As if hearing him, a growl was released from the blond's throat. Just this next obstacle and he would be free, dammit! This next obstacle was an array of horizontally positioned cylinders, each at a different height and obscuring the exit. His brows pinched together as Roxas threw himself in, immediately falling onto the floor after bypassing the first cylinder. He groaned a little, lifting his head only to hit another cylinder. This was worse than fighting Heartless.

Finally making it out, by crawling on his hands and feet and bumping his head into an air-blown tube every three steps, Roxas stood up, eye twitching at the sight of the exit. The exit consisted of two holes, elevated off the surface, which he assumed he was supposed to go through.

Sora poked his head at the end of one, grinning when he saw the disgruntled look on the teen's face. "What's wrong, Roxy? Not having fun?"

Ven's head appeared next, the boy's blue eyes shining as he exclaimed, "You can do it, Daddy!"

Roxas couldn't even manage a smile, too worn out from the balloon beating. However, he squeezed himself through the hole and landed in a heap on the floor, groaning.

"You wanna go down the slide next, Ven?"

The boy nodded, giggling when Roxas made a noise of disapproval. Running over to his father, he grasped Roxas' hand, pulling him up with a smile. "You don't have to if you don't want to, Daddy."

A hand ruffled his hair, earning Roxas a huffy pout. "No, let's go. I'm sure the slide won't be as dangerous as _that._"

"Oh yes, because an obstacle course is very dangerous in itself," laughed Sora as they headed for the slide. When Ven wasn't looking, Roxas pinched the brunet's nose.

The inflatable slide turned out far more harmless than the dreaded obstacle course. Roxas only slipped once when going up the "steps," managing to catch himself at the last minute. It was a two lane slide with a canopy overhead, letting them catch a glimpse of the sky as they sat on the edge, Ven between Sora's legs and Sora between Roxas' legs.

"Is everyone ready?"

Sora and Ven chorused their "Yes!" and Roxas placed his palms against the squishy surface, pushing them over and sending them falling down at a terrifying speed. His nose bumped into Sora's shoulder when they reached the end, the brunet craning his head around quickly.

"Are you okay, Roxas?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, feeling his nose itch slightly. The sound of a hitched breath caught his attention, blue eyes gazing into a similar pair, just inches away. The Nobody held his breath, hyperaware of just how close they were. He could count the lashes framing Sora's eyes if he wanted to.

"Um, Roxas?"

"Y-yeah?" He could feel his cheeks warm.

"Do… Do you think you could let go of me now?" asked the brunet, slightly breathless and not entirely sure if what he really wanted was for the blond to let him go. His embrace felt nice, the warmth of his chest pressed firmly against his back in a haze of comfort.

Roxas blinked, becoming conscious of the fact that his arms were wound around the other teen's waist. He hurriedly loosened his grip, leaning back and releasing Sora with red darkening his cheeks. "Sorry," he mumbled, averting his eyes.

"It's okay…" Sora could not help the disappointment from seeping into his voice, but he did not edge away, still lingering against his warmth.

"Well, what are the two lovebirds up to now?" Kairi smiled widely at the two, holding Ven's.

"Seriously, showing such displays of affection in front of your kid? Tsk. I thought you knew better," joked Axel, green eyes grinning when the two sprang apart, all shifty eyed and nonsensical stuttering.

Demyx added, biting back a laugh, "Did we interrupt something?"

"It would appear so," Zexion remarked, brow raised at the two of them who reddened.

Sora forced an obnoxious laugh, trying to smile innocently only for the twitch of his mouth to give him away. "What are you guys talking about? Roxas just hit his head on my shoulder, and I was asking him if he was okay, that's it! Anyways, let's go get some food. What do you say, Ven?"

"Were Mommy and Daddy going to kiss?" asked Ven in all eagerness, eyes shining brightly with anticipation. "I didn't wanna talk because I thought you wouldn't kiss if I did!"

"Er, that is…" Sora faltered, blue eyes darting towards Roxas in a silent plea for help.

With a small sigh and a glare of warning to their friends, Roxas leaned over and gave Sora a quick peck on the lips, feeling a shudder tingle his spine at the small touch.

Kairi squealed the loudest, having no problem exclaiming, "Now _that's_ what we wanted to see!"

-

"They're having a Struggle competition?" Roxas mused as they passed by the Sandlot, the setup already out and the crowds cheering as they watched a match. He absently took a bite of his toffee apple as he watched the victor pump a fist into the air.

Sora glanced over, following Roxas' gaze and landing on the platform where the host was calling for any other volunteers. His lips twisted into a soft smile upon seeing the reminiscent look in the blond's eyes. It was difficult to remember, at times, that Roxas had lived in this town, even if it was only a created version. His decision was made just as Roxas dropped to a knee to wipe at a bit of caramel on Ven's mouth. There was no warning—not that there ever was where Sora was concerned.

"We'll do it!"

Roxas reared back a little, nonplussed, before his eyes widened when he realized just _what _Sora had been volunteering them for. With a shake of his head, Roxas didn't even have time to hiss out a disapproving "no!" as Sora hooked their arms together and tossed him a wink. It shut him up, instantly. Satisfied, Sora dragged him towards the steps leading up the platform before kneeling a little to face Ven, who stood with the rest of their group.

"Ven, wait for mommy and daddy right here, okay? Don't move or leave and don't talk to strangers, okay?" he said sternly, waiting for the smaller blond to nod.

"I won't, Mommy. Promise."

"And stay with Auntie Kairi and everyone else."

"Okay!"

With a playful nudge, Kairi stuck out her tongue, saying as she held onto Ven's hand, "Don't worry, Sora. We'll take care of Ven! Now get up there and kick some butt! Both of you!"

Sora smiled, this one with a little more mischief than the others, "Don't worry, Ven, it won't take very long."

This snapped Roxas out of his stupor, a friendly smirk crossing his face as he remarked, "Getting a little smug there, aren't we?"

"I think I have every right to," the brunet replied innocently, hauling both of them up the stairs where they obtained their Struggle bats. It had been a while since either of them had sparred against each other, but Roxas didn't doubt that it wouldn't be boring or sluggish by any means. He grinned fondly at the familiar weight of a weapon in his hand.

"Ladies and gents, it looks like our two competitors, Roxas and Sora, are ready! What do you say?" The crowd cheered enthusiastically but not as earnestly as Ven who even jumped up and down a little. He loved seeing his parents compete. In a completely healthy, non-damaging way, of course. "Well then! I think I have my answer! Ready……STRUGGLE!"

Roxas barely registered the sounds of the crowd, adrenaline pumping through his body as he watched Sora with careful eyes and a small smirk. As he predicted, Sora was the one to make the first attack, jumping to bring the bat down in a swinging downward slash. Roxas dodged, jumping away to the right and already foreseeing the swing to his exposed left. Their bats hammered together, quivering under the force exerted.

Roxas, already crouched, knocked a foot into Sora's legs, sweeping him off balance and using the chance to bring his own bat crashing into the brunet's arm. Before he could, however, the flat of a hand pushed down against his shoulder blade. Sora easily flipped himself over the blond, flashing a cheeky grin from overhead and bopping the blond on the head before landing.

"Yeah Sora! That's the way!"

Turning around in a flurry of colors, Roxas parried the swinging bat, throwing his weight and knocking Sora off balance. He easily landed two hits on the brunet before he was back up.

"Fight, fight Roxas!"

The blond feigned an upward swing, twisting his wrist at the last minute into a horizontal arc. Sora jumped up and over, bringing his own bat into a downward arc and catching Roxas on the shoulder. They were evenly matched.

"Don't think I'll let you win just so you can save face as being the dad," spoke Sora with a grin, watching Roxas as they circled around one another.

"Don't cry when I win," retorted Roxas, smirk in place as he pivoted on his feet when Sora charged, aiming a backslash at a blind spot Sora did not even know he had.

The match ended with time running out, and, unsurprisingly enough, Roxas as the victor. Only because he remembered that the point of the battle was to actually collect the opponent's orbs and not beat each other silly. Sora grumbled, "I _completely_ forgot the point of the thing was to collect as many orbs as you could."

"Like I said, don't cry when I win," Roxas reminded, grinning.

"You suck." The brunet stuck his tongue out at him, turning away as they rejoined their friends. He immediately joined hands with Ven as did Roxas.

Before any of them could speak, however, Kairi remarked, "Well, I think it's time to leave this lovely young couple and give them some alone time, right Ven?"

Ven nodded vigorously, saying with as much enthusiasm as the redheaded girl, "Right, Auntie Kairi! Mommy, Daddy, I wanna stay with Auntie Kairi and Uncle Axel and Uncle Demyx and Uncle Zexion, so you two can go on a date together!"

"W-_what_?!"

"Yeah, so we'll be just leaving the young couple," waved Demyx cheerfully. "Whatever may happen next, we'll never know!"

"And don't worry about Ven. We'll take good care of him while you guys are 'busy'," added Axel, smirking at the expressions on the Keyblade wielders' faces.

Arms akimbo, Kairi gave a firm nod, confirming their words. "Right! So, you've heard Ven. As good and loving parents, you can't deny his happiness! And right now, his happiness is your date! So, we'll take your things and just be leaving now! Meet you guys back here in an hour!"

"Kairi, wait!"

"How the hell does he know what a date is?!"

They were ignored, however, in favor of the others disappearing into the crowd, leaving Sora and Roxas to themselves. The two turned to look at one another, thoroughly confused.

"I bet they planned that while we were having that Struggle battle," stated Sora with a groan, huffing. He knew Kairi all too well and could recognize one of her plots from a mile away; unfortunately, that did not necessary mean that he could avoid or foresee them.

"Sounds like something they would do," Roxas agreed, conceding to defeat for the moment. "Well, since we _do_ have an hour to kill and I'm not all that keen on chasing them around here, what do you want to do, Sora?"

"Me? What about you, Roxas?"

His lips curved into a smirk as Roxas leaned forward slightly, looking at the brunet straight in the eyes. "It only makes sense for the dad to take the mom out, right? Which means that we'll do whatever you want for this next hour."

"I'm going to make you regret those words," Sora returned with a deceivingly cheerful smile. "How about we go another round in the inflatable obstacle course?"

-

Sora laughed gleefully when Roxas tumbled out, looking just as disgruntled as last time; his hair was a complete mess thanks to a run in with the wall. Blue eyes glared at the snickering teen, mind quickly counting the ways he could destroy this infernal contraption that children seemed to love. A six year old boy actually paused while halfway up the mountain and pointed down at him with a laugh! Then, he jumped off from the top, landing perfectly onto his feet and running through the field of poles while dodging every singe one. To top it off, the nerve of that kid, he actually gave Roxas a smug look! A six year old for crying out loud! Roxas was _this _close to tripping the boy until he slipped on his socks and fell flat onto his face. It was a nice thought though.

"Well, at least this time, you didn't take as long," pointed Sora, holding out a hand for the blond. He took it, allowing himself to be pulled up to his feet.

"No more inflatable obstacle course. I don't care what you say, Sora. We are _not_ going through that thing again."

"Fine, fine."

"I'm so tempted to just stab the damn thing with the Keyblade," he muttered under his breath, completely unamused when he heard Sora's soft snickers. He grabbed the boy's hand, tugging them away lest he develop any other dark thoughts about the inflatable playground and a run in with one of Axel's chakrams. No, _two_ of Axel's chakrams. Could never be too careful, especially with something as gigantic as that.

Walking a safe distance away from the inflatable playground, the two passed by a tent, stopping only when they heard the beckoning call of a woman's voice. Roxas dropped Sora's hand, startled by her voice.

"Would you two like to have a reading?" she asked, smiling kindly.

Sora pulled Roxas along by the arm, replying with a curious, "Sure."

Shuffling through the cards and carefully cutting the deck, she drew them one by one, placing them flat against the table. Voice low and soft, she explained, "The Judgment: a rebirth. The Death: a major change. The Lover: finding of new love."

The Keyblade wielder frowned a little, eyes fixated on the Death card. "A major change, huh? If anything, it's gotta be Ven the card's talking about," he commented, smiling softly.

With a mysterious gleam to her eyes, the woman only nodded, reshuffling the cards and laying them out once more. This time, however, she directed her voice and eyes towards Roxas, the blond taking a small step back at the sudden attention focused onto him, "The Fool: the rise of a new beginning. The Star: the healing of a wound. The Tower: something awful will happen."

"Eh? Something awful's going to happen to Roxas?!" Sora leaned forward, grasping the boy's arm as his eyes went wide with concern.

Sweeping the cards up in one fluid motion, they disappeared back into the deck.

"Possibly," the woman remarked, her eyes remaining on the blond, as though directing her words towards him, "The future is uncertain, however. The power of change rests in your hands so long as it does not disturb fate. Nothing is coincidental, and everything moves according to the hands of fate. The course of life is decided by no one other than yourself and whatever destiny you are handed. May fate guide you on your way."

His eyes narrowing, Roxas took a hold of Sora's hand, saying coldly, "Let's go."

The boy was dragged out without warning, barely being able to thank the woman who only nodded, waving them goodbye. His head whirled back to the blond, surprised at the sudden burst of anger radiating from his body. "Roxas? What's wrong?"

Roxas didn't answer, eyes darkening as his face slipped into a tight scowl. Whether that woman was telling the truth or spouting a bunch of lies, he knew for certain that Xemnas was responsible for that Tower card. It could not have been just a mere coincidence. While Axel had said that there hadn't been any movement from him, it was just a matter of time. But how much time? It wasn't just himself that he needed to protect. He had Sora and Ven to protect too now.

"…as…"

But when? And how?

"Roxas!!"

Startled out of his thoughts, the blond turned, blinking as he saw Sora behind him, slightly out of breath and wincing.

"Finally got you to stop," he said while attempting a smile and trying not to grimace. "You're hurting me, by the way."

"Huh?"

With a small smile, Sora lowered his eyes to their joined hands. Roxas had been dragging him along, nearly pulling his arm out of his socket and holding onto the appendage just a finger too tight. The blond immediately dropped his hand, mumbling an apologetic, "I'm sorry. I didn't notice…"

"It's okay. No harm done. Although, wanna tell me what's got you so wound up all of a sudden?"

Heaving a sigh, the blond shifted uncomfortably, hand covering one side of his face in frustration. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it, Sora."

"Are you sure? You know you can tell me what's bothering you, Roxas." Sora moved in front of him, taking a hold of his wrist and gently pulling away his hand from his face. Tired blue eyes saw nothing but the teen's caring smile, his eyes soft and concerned. What was he doing, losing his cool like some first rate idiot and ruining the day for both of them?

His lips upturned into a small smile as Roxas assured the teen, "Yeah, I know."

Sora returned the gesture, not pushing any further. He had come to figure out, after much trial and error (meaning hours of bugging the blond until he found books being chucked at him one after another for five minutes straight), that when it came to Roxas, it was better to not push and pry like Sora usually would have with anyone else. When Roxas was comfortable and ready, he would find him. It was a bit difficult, honestly, for him to keep his curiosity in check, but he managed. Somehow.

His eyes brightened mischievously. "I know what'll cheer you up! I think a visit to the inflatable slide is in order."

"Oh God." Roxas rolled his eyes. He wanted to stay away from inflatable anything from now on.

Sora laughed, the sound flowing sweetly into the blond's ears and dispersing his worries.

"C'mon, let's get some food before we head back. I'm getting hungry."

Roxas raised a brow, saying knowingly, "Oh? And why do I get the feeling that I'll be the one paying?"

"Because you will be. We've established that we're on a date, remember?" Sora winked playfully, and Roxas, for reasons unbeknownst to him, blushed.

-

"Now then, for our last event of the night, we will be throwing a dance party until the clocks hit midnight! So everyone, please enjoy the music, find a partner, and dance, dance, dance!"

Quirking a brow, Roxas repeated, "A dance party?"

From beside him, Sora groaned, running a hand down his face as realization kicked him from the rear. Hard. And painful. "Tricked. We've been tricked, Roxas," he moaned, "I should have known there was more to it, especially since Kairi was involved. She probably planned this whole thing out from the start."

"Tricked? Planned? I'm not exactly following…"

Sora looked up at him with a helpless smile upturning the corners of his lips. "Kairi's _real_ intention was to get us to attend this dance party." When logic refused to dawn comprehension onto Roxas' brain, Sora continued, "In short, she definitely wants the two of us to dance. With each other."

It took a few seconds for the Nobody to register Sora's words, blinking. "Wait, _what_?" he spluttered, eyes wide, "Hold on, I don't even know how to dance. No, more importantly, why in the world is she trying to get the two of us to dance anyways?"

"That's just how Kairi is," mused Sora with a thoughtful nod. "Knowing her, she's probably around here somewhere, watching us or something. With Ven. And Axel. And Demyx. And Zexion. And probably Riku too…"

Roxas shook his head, cursing their friends inwardly. He shuffled on his feet, looking around for any sign of them but coming up empty handed. Oh, everyone involved in this charade would get a taste of his Keyblade. Except for Ven of course. The poor boy was probably corrupted by his aunt and uncles.

"Uh, Roxas, this might sound a bit crazy but…" Sora trailed off into a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks were dusted a dark red, "Would you mind dancing? With me, that is. Erm, just 'cause, you know, Ven's probably watching us too, and Kairi is pretty persistent, so she probably won't come out until we do or something. So… I guess what I'm trying to say is… let's just go ahead and dance and get it over with?"

He was babbling, like he always did when he was nervous. Half a smile tilted the blond teen's lips as his eyes glanced around. Sora fidgeted a little, looking off to the side as though it would lessen the embarrassment he was currently feeling, as though struck by lightning. Only far more unpleasant.

"I guess there's no harm," he sighed softly, finally turning his blue eyes back onto Sora. Roxas stepped forward, ignoring the boy's squawks of surprise, and took his hand while placing the other just below his shoulder blade. "But that's get one thing straight, Sora."

His eyes were serious, voice commanding as Sora nodded helplessly.

"As the dad, I'm the one leading."

Sora flushed red, head bobbing once again in a nod. He mimicked Roxas, albeit taking what was probably the woman's part, and twined their fingers together.

"Only if you don't dip me."

"I'll try not to."

They stood, awkward in each other's holds. However, pushing past, Roxas briefly closed his eyes, listening carefully to the music, and began to move to the flow. Sora followed, nearly tripping over his feet and causing their chests to collide.

"Sorry," he murmured sheepishly, pulling back to keep a distance between them.

Roxas frowned, using his fingers to gently push him back closer and leaving a foot between them.

Despite best efforts, they were the clumsiest couple on the dance floor, actually running into other pairs and tripping on each other's feet. Sora ended up elbowing a man under the arm, and Roxas accidentally stepped on a woman's foot, apologizing profusely when she let out an unholy shriek. In all, every person was working to steer clear of the bumbling couple, giving them at least three feet of personal space to avoid injury.

"I feel stupid," the blond finally said, wincing slightly when Sora's soles made contact with his toes. The teen quickly gave an apology, but his own face grimaced in pain when Roxas' foot clacked into his shins.

"Me too," Sora admitted with a silly grin. "But it's still fun."

"In a destructive sort of way, I guess," was Roxas' reply, his arms beginning to ache as well from being suspended up for so long. Maybe he was exerting too much pressure?

Roxas was focusing his eyes down at their feet, attempting to predict where to place his next step despite the futility of it seeing as to the fact Sora was doing the same. They only succeeded entangling their bodies, quickly springing apart each time with small blushes. Both were too preoccupied with trying to maintain a suitable distance from one another to notice. Their heads collided together, drawing a moan from each which easily dissolved into chuckles and laughs.

"Oh, that reminds me." Sora smiled sheepishly when their knees bumped together, nearly knocking Roxas off his feet. It was more endearing than it was painful. "What's your wish, Rox?"

"Wish?" He frowned in concentration.

"Yeah, remember? Winner of the basketball competition got a free wish from the loser. And since you did win and all, it's only fair I keep up my end." The brunet looked back up, having given up on their feet and moving more to the music than anything. He was making far more progress than he had been when putting in actual effort.

There was a small pause as the Nobody hummed in thought. While he had not particularly bothered to think of anything, now…

The air was loud, with clapping and mirth, and heavy with a delirium that could be felt soaking their bones. Not even their horrible dancing coordination could douse the two, having found it already contagious. Maybe there was _one_ thing that he wanted…?

Roxas boldly crossed the feet between them and leaned forward, pushing their bodies closer together and shoulders touching as his lips spoke against Sora's ear.

"Shall we liven things up a bit, folks?!"

The cheer was earsplitting, deafening everyone.

Blue eyes widened, hands quickly releasing the blond's as one came up to cover his ear. His skin still tickled from the vibrations of his voice, low and pleasing.

"Wh-what?" he asked, completely positive he had heard the other teen wrong. There was no way that Roxas could have possibly said such a thing.

Shaking his head, Roxas repeated, speaking up this time to be heard over the more cheerful waltz-like music being played by the band, "I said that I'll save it for later."

"Oo-oh," stuttered Sora, unable to hide the blush that crawled up his neck and to his cheeks, "S-sure. Okay."

But Sora was so sure that he heard…

Roxas quirked a brow at him, bemused by his sudden jumpy behavior. He didn't think what he had said had been that surprising. The blond had never been very good with thinking up of such things right on the spot. Plus, he had a feeling it would come in handy one of these days. In the meantime…

"Wanna try this dancing thing again?" he asked, hand held out with an amused smile.

Despite his flustered state, Sora returned the smile, placing his hand almost timidly in the blond's. His skin prickled, hot, as knots twisted in the general area of his stomach. He thought he had heard…

"Sure."

He had been so sure that he had heard Roxas say,

"_A kiss would be nice." _

-

A/N: I've had a chunk of this chapter finished for I don't even know how long, but I struggled with the end and thus put it on/off. Unfortunately, it's still really messy. D: I'm not too happy with it, but I figured it's not worth postponing this update any longer since it's very much overdue. (Like all my updates har har) Oh, and I know close to nothing about tarot cards, so most was just guesswork.

Thank you all for the lovely reviews! Please know that even if I didn't get a chance reply back to your review, I love you all, and you're awesome! Thanks to everyone who added this to their favorites/alerts lists too!


	7. Spill Your Guts

Warning: Yaoi/slash, language

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters in anyway besides owning a copy of both games. I only write to entertain others and for my own amusement.

* * *

**Fourth Lullaby: Spill Your Guts**

_And when the Shadows crawl within You_

_the sun Still Rises_

* * *

"Ball-what's-it-day?"

Sora heaved a sigh that seemed to vibrate through his entire body. Sometimes, he forgot that Roxas was actually a former Nobody with little to no knowledge of the outside world other than mindlessly trying to gain a heart thanks to the great, superior leading skills of Xemnas. With a shake of his head and a half-exasperated smile, the brunet repeated, correcting Roxas' lack-of-concern pronunciation, "Valentine's Day."

"Right," agreed Roxas absentmindedly, trying to give off the impression that he did care and that he was listening and that no, he was not reading the book sitting just in his hand. Clearly, Sora was not convinced.

Tugging the book away from the blond with a huff, Sora spoke, "Roxas, focus. This is really big. It's Ven's first holiday!"

"Holiday?" Blue eyes peered at him skeptically.

"Yes. Holiday."

"What kind of holiday is this, exactly?"

Drumming his fingers against the hardcover of Roxas' book, the brunet thought for a few moments on just how to express the meaning behind Valentine's Day without drawing a sarcastic, cynical response from Roxas. His eyes rose upwards in thought before falling back onto the blond who sat there waiting. "Valentine's Day is a day of…well, uh…love. It's when – stop looking so skeptical! – you celebrate the day with people you love and usually, you express your love to a particular person with presents, flowers, cards, and all that other good stuff that people associate with love. It's a… Yeah, it's a day of love. Oh, for crying out loud, stop looking like someone's bashing your head in with a Keyblade, Rox! It's really not that bad. I mean, I know it sounds bad, but it's really not."

"Bad? It doesn't just _sound _bad. How can it even be considered a holiday? Sora, this day just sounds like a 'holiday' to hike up prices and raise profits."

"It's not! You're totally missing the point of the holiday here, Roxas. It isn't about the gifts. It's about spending time with the person you love," Sora defended with a slight pout. He knew Roxas would say something like that. So typical.

Sitting up, hand sifting through his spikes, Roxas retaliated, "And why can't people do that every other day? What makes this day so special?"

"They can. It's just that, it's nice to have a special day to show the person you love just how much you love them and care and stuff."

Roxas shook his head at the boy's logic, cocking an eyebrow at the brunet. Back pressed against the couch, he inquired, "Okay, so then, what does this have to do with us and Ven? I mean, Ven is cute and all, but I seriously doubt that he's found someone he loves since we adopted him, and I say that only because he's been with us practically twenty-four seven."

"It doesn't have to be just romantic love," elaborated Sora with a sigh. Really, why couldn't Xemnas have taught his Organization members about these kinds of things instead of how to fake having emotions and pine for a heart by destroying others. "Friendship, family, romance, all of that falls into Valentine's Day. So, since it's Ven's first Valentine's Day, well, with us at least, I figure that we should do something really special! That way, it can be a great memory for him and us. What do you think?"

"I think it is a ridiculously useless holiday," he stated definitely, "But, I guess you are right about it being Ven's first, so we should celebrate it… Even if it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever."

"It's not just Ven's first Valentine's Day, but yours too, Roxas! And that makes it extra special this year!"

Roxas appeared to disagree but kept his mouth shut on the matter. Instead, he asked, "So? What exactly are we going to do to 'celebrate'?"

Sora faltered slightly, rubbing the back of his neck as he admitted sheepishly, "I didn't really think that far ahead. I thought it would take a lot longer to convince you and get you to agree, actually."

Blue eyes rolled in response to his confession. Leave it to Sora to only come up with half a plan before deeming it too much a pain in the ass to come up with any more and just carry it out. Taking command over the planning of this ridiculously useless 'holiday' since Sora seemed to be slacking, Roxas questioned, "All right, then, what do people normally do to celebrate Valentine's Day? We can just go from there and think of something."

"Erm, I don't really know. I've never really celebrated this other than getting my friends some candy and a card," confessed the brunet with a pitiful smile that asked Roxas not to beat him with a two-by-four. "C'mon Roxas, I'm sure that we can find something! Plus, Kairi planned out a huge Valentine's Day party for later tonight! Everyone's gonna be there, and it's gonna be a lot of fun and pretty memorable in my opinion."

"Party," repeated Roxas with just as much skepticism as he had when speaking about Valentine's Day.

Already foreseeing the blond's reaction, Sora pleaded, "Just one night, Roxas. Please? It's not gonna be a whole bunch of people, just some of our friends."

He did not look any more convinced than he did just ten seconds. Roxas did not like parties. He did not like large crowds, masses of people all mingling together for a mindless amount of time. In all brutal honesty, Roxas preferred to be left alone. Maybe it was from the time spent at the Organization, but Roxas could not get used to being around more than a few people. He disliked the idea of sharing one another's company in order to make small talk about the weather, their lives, and the latest gossip just to give off the impression of actually caring. It was complete rubbish and thoroughly disgusted him. He didn't want people to think that he liked them and was tolerant enough to endure their useless chatter because he didn't and wasn't. The carnival had been a special case; he had endured the crowds simply because of Sora and Ven. Besides, at the carnival, he had mostly spent the time with people he knew, people he was comfortable with enough to not have to resort to small talk. He did not necessarily have to talk with any of the strangers. But this party was a different matter. This party meant chatting with others, people he didn't know. It made him uncomfortable with just the thought.

"I don't think so, Sora."

His face fell, mouth pressed together at the blond's stand on the matter. Even so, Sora pushed, "Why not, Rox? It's a good chance to not only meet everyone again but celebrate Valentine's together too."

"I don't…" Roxas trailed off, thinking of another way to phrase his thoughts. "I just don't see the point, Sora. Besides, they're all people _you_ know."

"Well, I want them to meet you. Since you're my friend too. And Ven's dad. Plus, they're all really friendly, and I bet they'll really like you like I like you!"

The statement made Roxas' stomach clench. How was it that every time he was pitted against Sora, Roxas could feel his pathetic excuse for resolve crumple like wet paper? It was unfair. He was not even able to gain a chance to retaliate. Running a hand through his hair, Roxas gave in with a sigh, "Fine. Whatever."

"Aw, Roxas, don't be like that…"

"Like what? I agreed, didn't I?" he muttered petulantly, taking his book back out of Sora's hands. It was childish, he knew, but the blond could not help it. He didn't want to make Sora feel guilty, but at the same time, he wanted some sort of repercussion to counterbalance the unfairness of the situation.

"Yeah, but you're only agreeing in words. I don't want you to be mad."

"I'm not mad," he snapped, immediately regretting his sharp words and the reaction they pulled from the brunet.

His lips dripped into a frown, blue eyes staring at the blond for several lengthy minutes before closing with a sigh. Instantly, Roxas could feel the sharp sting of backlash as guilt trickled through his veins. Fingers smoothing over the cover of the book he held in his hand, the teen swallowed. They were feelings he still was not quite used to. He opened his mouth only to close it a few seconds later. Roxas knew that something needed to be said or else the feeling would drag.

"Sora," he called in a softer tone, willing the boy to look up at him. "I'm not mad. Really. Today's supposed to be a day of love, right?"

Sora gave a small smile at the blond's attempted humor, agreeing, "You're right, Rox. We shouldn't fight. But if you really don't wanna go, then we don't have to."

He shook his head in the negative. "Nah, it's okay. I know that you wanna go, Sora. Plus, Ven will probably have fun there too."

"Mommy! Daddy!"

A whirl of color rushed past their eyes until it crashed into them, beaming widely and giggling. Bouncing impatiently on Roxas' lap, Ven remarked earnestly, "Auntie Kairi said that today is a reeeeeeally special day! What kinda special day is it?"

"Today's Valentine's Day, Ven," informed Sora with a grin, knowing Roxas would be completely clueless when it came to explaining the holiday considering he knew about it as much as Ven did.

"Valentine's Day? What's that?" He wrinkled his nose in curiosity.

"Well Ven, Valentine's Day is the day when people show how much they love each other." Sora threw a warning glare at Roxas whose face was contorted with skepticism once again. He still could not find the good or the logic in a holiday that promoted red hearts, flashy confessions, and hordes of chocolates and roses.

Ven took a few moments to ponder this information over before stating, "You mean, it's like a day for people like mommy and daddy to be all lovey-dovey??"

Sora briefly glanced away, and Roxas choked on his spit. No matter how many times Ven pointed that little aspect of their relationship out, it always seemed to catch the two off guard. They had completely forgotten that as Ven's parents, they were roped into _that_ sort of relationship and that Valentine's Day was a prime holiday for them to celebrate. Embarrassment quickly crawled up Sora's cheeks as he sat there suddenly wishing he had never even brought up the idea. Surely no one was expecting anything from them, right? All of a sudden, the Valentine's Day party seemed all the more sinister with ulterior motives stamped all across it.

"Auntie Kairi said that there was going to be a big surprise for mommy and daddy tonight," relayed Ven, not seeming to notice the sudden embarrassment shrouding his two male parents. "Oops! I wasn't supposed to tell you."

"A surprise?"

"Yeah! Uncle Axel said it was going be really, really, _really _big!" exclaimed the miniature blond before remembering his vow of secrecy once more. "But I can't tell mommy and daddy anything else or the surprise will be ruined!"

The Keyblade wielders exchanged dubious glances. Roxas groaned softly as Sora tried to smile. Anytime Kairi and Axel were planning anything, it usually meant pain in the form of embarrassment for them. Unwittingly, Ven grinned almost devilishly—well, as devilishly as an adorable five year old could.

-

"Nervous?" Sora was standing next to him with a friendly smile, correctly guessing the feeling swimming freely in his stomach. Roxas did not even have to respond, his mouth twitching at just the thought of all those people. People he didn't know and, thus, hardly cared about. But Sora cared.

A warm hand took a hold of his cooler one, squeezing lightly. Blue eyes glanced up to find a similar pair smiling at him. The leaden weight in the pit of his stomach eased at the sight, but it also curled into somersaults. He looked away, focusing instead on the warmth of Sora's hand in his own, slightly sweaty but far more reassuring than the deep breathing and visualizing a happy place had been. It was stupid, but Roxas felt terribly nervous because of the singular fact that these people were Sora's friends. People who loved the brunet and would seek blood if he was ever harmed in any way. The thought that he was going to barge in there and inform every one of those overprotective friends of his that he and Sora were parents just did not sit well with him. They would undoubtedly jump to conclusions (like their initial group of friends had); conclusions that Roxas did not very much want to think or imagine, and certainly did not want anyone else to think or imagine. The very thought bothered him. The thought that people would naturally assume that he and Sora were in a…romantic sort of relationship, enough to even adopt a child. Hopefully they wouldn't assume.

The party was a rather formal one, each of them donning suits and elegant dresses for the girls. Roxas tugged on his own tie, attempting to loosen the knot to allow himself some breathing room. It felt strange to be wearing something other than his normal, casual attire.

By his side, Ven squirmed, probably bored. They had, after all, been here for at least ten minutes with nothing to do but eat.

"Sora!"

The young teen glanced up, face breaking out into a wide grin as he called out, just as excitedly, "Donald! Goofy!"

The former teammates embraced clumsily, jumping up and down a little in joy at their much too delayed reunion. It had been far too long since they had last seen each other. Others came, one after another, with each embracing the brunet who eagerly returned the missed affections.

"Who are they?"

"Those are Sora's friends," he answered lamely. Roxas stood off to the side, holding onto Ven's hand and smiling at the boy when the looked up questioningly at his dad. The feeling of awkwardness hit him hard. He felt out of place or perhaps just misplaced.

"Enjoying the party?"

Craning his neck, Roxas caught sight of Axel standing next to him with a little smirk as he watched Sora chatting animatedly with Leon and Yuffie. He rolled his eyes, turning back to the scene.

"Shut up, Axel."

His response only widened the smirk on the redhead's face. "C'mon, Roxas, don't be such a wet blanket. Shouldn't you be over there, with Sora, and introducing your son to all of them? You're the dutiful husband, right? Besides, can't wait to see the faces they'll make when they hear that their little Keyblade master's got a kid. With his Nobody, nonetheless. Wanna make a bet of who'll reach you first to murder you?"

Unappreciative of his sense of humor, Roxas elbowed him in the ribs with a sharp glare. He really did not need Axel to put it so bluntly. Hearing it spoken out loud just made it worse, if anything.

"Shut up, Axel," he repeated, glaring at the taller man.

Shrugging off the boy's death glare, Axel crouched down to Ven's height, saying to the smaller blond, "Hey kiddo, I'm gonna tell you something really important about later tonight. Later on, after this party, your mommy and daddy might get lucky, and if they do, you should make sure to stay away from their room so that they can have their priva—"

A foot in the head effectively stopped the redhead from saying anything more as hands clamped over Ven's ears protectively, Roxas seething murderously from behind. Stomping once more before grinding his dress shoe into the man's skull to accentuate his point, Roxas ground out, "Stop teaching Ven perverted things, you idiot!! He doesn't need to be corrupted because of your stupidity and inability to keep your mouth shut, moron!!"

Satisfied with his handiwork and certain that Axel wouldn't try to corrupt his child any further tonight, Roxas uncovered Ven's ears and remarked sternly, "Ven, never listen to a word your Uncle Axel says, okay?"

Uprighting himself, Axel commented, rubbing the bump on his head, courtesy of Roxas' foot, "Geez, Roxas, way to go. Show your kid that violence is the way to go."

Roxas shot him another glare which wisely shut the taller man up on the subject. Instead, he grinned impishly, saying, "So, Roxas. What'd ya get Sora?"

"What do you mean?" he muttered distractedly. He was busy watching Donald attempt to threaten both Demyx and Zexion by stabbing a heart-shaped lollipop in their direction but failing horribly to intimidate the two. Sora and Goofy tried to put a stop to the duck's squawking, exchanging exasperated glances while attempting to apologize to the former Nobodies. Demyx looked amused while Zexion remained indifferent as ever, eyes boring into the duck. Number nine laughed good-naturedly when Daisy came over and glared at Donald to behave.

"For Valentine's Day. Ya know, the day you get your one true love a gift to show how much you care for and love them," elaborated Axel, snickering when he saw the flush cover the teen's skin. He just loved teasing Roxas.

"W-What would I get a gift for?!"

Ven tugged on his hand, gaining his attention, although Roxas sorely wished he hadn't looked down. The smaller blond looked shocked, asking, "Dad, you didn't get mommy a Valentine's present?"

"Uh, that is…"

Axel helpfully filled in, supplying, "Sounds like your daddy forgot."

"Daddy!" scolded Ven with his brows stitched together. "How could you forget to get mommy a Valentine?"

"I, uh, I didn't…" Roxas was at a loss for words, spluttering in a display of idiocy and helplessness. He didn't know how to answer the boy as evident from the feeble protests coming from his mouth before dropping altogether.

Drawing himself up and out of his laughter, enough to speak, Axel mocked disappointment, "Yeah, Roxas. How could you forget to get your love a Valentine? That's terrible of you. So cold. I can just imagine the look on Sora's face when—agh!"

Roxas elbowed the taller man in the side. Hard. Axel wisely took that as his cue to leave, heading for the buffet table with a backwards wink tossed over his shoulder. He mouthed, "Good luck," with a laughing smirk. Roxas offered him another withering glare to which the redhead laughed.

Sad, the miniature sized blond shook his head looking very much disappointed with the Nobody. Something inside of Roxas died upon seeing his son so dejected because of his tactlessness. Was a gift really so important? Sure, Sora had said that normally, people showed how much they cared and they loved each other by giving gifts from the heart, but Roxas hadn't thought that meant he had to give a gift as well. They weren't exactly a normal family with a normal relationship after all. Hell, nothing about their relationship was normal considering he and Sora just did not like each other that way and everything they did that seemed even remotely romantic was for the sake of Ven. Though judging from the look on Ven's face, that didn't exactly matter.

With a nervous tug on his tie, Roxas tried, "I didn't exactly forget. I just…"

He came up short, unable to think of an excuse and unsure as to whether he wanted to lie to his son about such a thing.

"Mommy's gonna be so sad…" sighed Ven, sniffling.

Roxas wondered just where his son learned to guilt trip. He was ridiculously good at it. Scratching the back of his head, the blond gazed away, blue eyes falling upon Sora who was merrily laughing with a group at Demyx imitating Donald, much to the duck's displeasure. The guilt plunged into his stomach, punching him. Why _hadn't_ he bought a gift for Sora? Sure, even if they weren't in that kind of romantic sort of relationship, they were still friends, and Sora said it himself that Valentine's Day was not limited to just couples. Friends gave each other gifts and shows of their love and care too. He frowned. It was still a concept far too new to him and thus, foreign. Even still…

"Awww, Ven, you look so adorable in that suit!" squealed Kairi, click-clacking her way over to them in her heels. She gave the boy a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Standing back up to height, the redhead smiled warmly at Roxas, "I'm glad you could make it."

"It was his idea," shrugged Roxas, directing towards Sora with his head.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to come if you didn't want to," she countered with a knowing smile as she brushed away a lock of stray hair.

"Auntie Kairi, daddy didn't get anything for mommy," told Ven with a solemn look on his face. He frowned unhappily, looking very much like Roxas who had done the same upon hearing the declaration.

"He didn't?"

"He didn't."

Turning towards the taller blond, Kairi giggled at the dismayed look contorting his face. She remarked, "Ven, I'm sure that your daddy wanted to get your mommy a present but couldn't since he didn't know it was Valentine's Day like how you didn't know until your mommy told you."

"So, daddy didn't forget?" He sounded a tad hopeful.

"No, your daddy didn't forget. He just didn't know about Valentine's Day. If he had known about it, I'm one hundred percent positive that he would have bought something very special and meaningful for your mom," she explained with a kind smile.

Ven furrowed his brows together in thought briefly before saying, "Ooh. So, daddy wanted to get a present but couldn't because he didn't know what Valentine's Day was, like me."

"Yup."

"Oh… I'm sorry, daddy. I don't want you to feel bad because of me."

"No, no. I don't, Ven. I promise. You were just looking out for your mom and making sure that I was being a good dad too," he said hurriedly, ruffling the boy's hair with an affectionate hand. Ven puffed his cheeks out in protest but said nothing more. Roxas dimly wondered how Kairi had managed to clear that misunderstanding up so quickly while he had been left to splutter and try his hand at making a somewhat decent excuse. He gave her a grateful look which she only giggled at.

Ven tugged Roxas down slightly to give him a hug in apology. Roxas returned the gesture.

"Don't worry, Roxas," she suddenly remarked, when they parted, gaining the older blond's attention.

"Worry? Worry about what?"

"About not getting Sora a Valentine's gift," the girl elaborated, smiling widely when Roxas knitted his brows together to protest. "And don't even bother trying to deny it because it's written all over your face, ya know."

Even still, Roxas muttered, "I'm not worried."

It earned a bout of laughter from the petite girl. She found it ridiculously adorable how predictable Roxas and Sora were when it came to the other.

"So, what are the two of you doing on the sides?" Kairi questioned.

"Daddy says we shouldn't interrupt mommy," repeated Ven as matter of fact, blinking up at his aunt with large blue eyes. "But I don't really like being away from mommy. And I don't like daddy being away from mommy either. I think daddy's lonely."

Roxas spluttered slightly. Lonely? Where exactly did Ven get _that_ idea? He wasn't lonely, just feeling a little awkward and out of place.

Kairi giggled at him cheerfully before saying, "Well Ven, how about we go interrupt your mom anyways? He should be together with you guys, introducing everyone to his family. Right, Roxas?"

The former Nobody shrugged, "I don't really care either way."

He had come only because Sora had wanted to. It did not particularly matter to him whether he met everyone or not. As a matter of fact, the blond rather preferred not meeting anyone and thus, putting off the announcement which would have everyone's head rolling in a mess of confusion. Confusion that Kairi would probably use to her advantage to tell everyone that they were a couple or something equally silly. Although they were, for Ven's sake.

Sighing at the typical answer given to her, Kairi shook her head, standing with a hand on her hip. "This won't do. C'mon Ven, Roxas. We're gonna go teach your mom about manners."

Before either of them could protest, Kairi grabbed his hand and dragged the two across the dance floor.

"Kairi!" She came to a stop at the sound of her name, turning around to find Yuffie and Leon, the former waving enthusiastically as she approached the trio with a broad smile. "Heeeey! It's good to see you again, Kairi! Ooohhh, is this your boyfriend? Aww, you two look so cute together!"

Roxas started, blinking in confusion at her question.

"Hm. I always thought you and Sora would end up together, no offense," commented Leon with a small smirk. He took a sip of his drink, colored red for the Valentine theme.

Kairi blinked as she tried to process their words.

"Awwww, who's this little guy?" cooed Yuffie, crouching down in her dress to stand at Ven's height. "Is he a kid you guys are babysitting? D'aww, the three of you look like such an adorable family!"

As always when meeting new strangers, Ven let out a small noise of surprise, quickly hiding behind Roxas with wide eyes. The sight had Yuffie squealing.

"Uh, Yuffie, this isn't—"

"What's his name?" the female ninja interrupted, eyes starry.

"Wait, Yuffie, I think you're misunderstanding—"

"How old is he? Who're the lucky parents of a kid this cute? And how long have you guys been together? You're terrible for not ever saying anything to us about him. I'm Yuffie, by the way. You better be taking good care of our Kairi!"

At a loss, Kairi helplessly glanced over at Roxas who looked just as off guard as she did with the sudden questions and assumptions. This was certainly something he hadn't been expecting to happen.

"Yuffie, this is Roxas," she finally introduced, looking on as the three shook hands and exchanged names. With a few moments thought, she added, "He's not my boyfriend, by the way. We're just friends."

"Oh! Sorry, my bad. I didn't think you would like anyone other than Sora, to be honest," Yuffie apologized, still grinning however. Leon rolled his eyes.

Shaking her head, Kairi corrected, "Actually, Sora and I aren't dating either. We're more like brother and sister, in my opinion. Anyways, I think it'd be better if I let Sora explain. It's a little…complicated, and I'm not sure if he's ready to say anything yet either."

Yuffie eyed the trio before grinning as she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled out, "Sora! C'mere!"

Blue eyes widened as Roxas stiffened. He held tightly onto Ven's hand, listening to the brunet's footsteps fall in beside him.

"Yuffie? What's up?"

Hands on her hips, the short haired girl remarked playfully, "So Sora, what are you not telling us? I wanna know what it is."

Roxas could feel his stomach churn uncomfortably. Even more so when Sora passed him a reassuring, albeit nervous smile. He wasn't ashamed to admit to these people that he was Ven's father. It didn't bother him for even a second that Ven was his child now and that he and Sora were his parents. No, none of those facts made him feel ashamed or embarrassed. The reason behind the discomfort weighing down his body was the assumptions which would undeniably come sprouting forth as soon as the cat was let out of the bag. Every person in the room would naturally assume some sort of crazy, farfetched scenario which probably would make the truth seem rather boring in comparison. He couldn't exactly rationalize the discomfort of everyone coming to a rather obvious conclusion; it was just there. The thought that everyone would think that they were in a relationship just bothered him. That was it.

"What I'm not telling you?" repeated Sora in a question form, nonplussed.

"That's what Kairi says. That it's something you'd wanna explain yourself."

Sora frowned in thought for a few seconds before finally catching on. He glanced over at Roxas with another encouraging smile, silently asking him whether now was a good time. Roxas did not know how to respond. He could feel Ven peek out from behind his legs and grip the material of his pants even tighter.

"Well, it's, uh, kinda complicated," stalled the brunet, unknowingly reiterating Kairi's words.

The blond cursed under his breath for being such a chicken. It wasn't that big of a deal. And if anything, these people were Sora's friends. They would not think badly of him or judge him. It was like Sora had said before: friends didn't judge others even if strange things happened. And while suddenly adopting a child was far past strange, it was still all the same. No matter what, they would love Sora, even if it was a little overwhelming to take in all at once. There was no need to feel nervous. Even if they did think they were that sort of relationship, it didn't matter as long as they knew the truth, right? The pressure did not ease off his stomach, however. For whatever reason, he still felt uneasy.

"We heard that already," countered Yuffie with a triumphant smile, eagerly urging Sora to tell the rest of the story. She always loved a little bit of gossip.

"You've met Ven, right?" began Sora, taking it at a slower pace for Roxas. He waited for Yuffie to nod which the girl did rather impatiently. "Well, Ven—"

"Oh my!"

The exclamation startled the brunet, twisting his body around to see who had uttered it. His eyes widened with delight, crying out happily, "King Mickey!"

Roxas glanced over to the see the regal mouse standing before them, shock engulfing the contours of his face. He cocked a brow in question. What was he so shocked to see? Shuffling slightly on his feet to accommodate for the hand pulling on his pant leg, Roxas bent over to pick up the younger blond, letting him sit in the crook of his elbow, arms wrapped around his neck. Ven quickly hid his face into the former Nobody's hair, uttering a small noise of unhappiness which alerted the blond. Roxas frowned at the sudden distress plaguing the young child. He nudged Sora, the other Keyblade wielder taking notice immediately as well thanks to his newly developed paternal instincts. The two parents swapped concerned glances, completely forgetting about the King's arrival while others made a fuss, namely Donald. That is, until his voice rang out, disbelief coating his tongue heavily with each word.

"Is that… Is that you, Ventus?"

* * *

A/N: Hope all of you had a happy Valentine's Day! As lame as I am, I could not resist sticking in a little bit of Valentine's Day myself into the fic :P Originally, this was supposed to be posted yesterday to go with Valentine's Day, but I fell asleep before I could hahaha. As a note, I'll probably go back and edit most of my previous chapters, although there probably won't be too big changes, just typos, inconsistencies, etc. If I do change anything that impacts the storyline, I'll be sure to say so.

Thank you and lots of love to everyone who reviewed despite my long absences between updates! I'm really working on my updating habits/skills this year, so hopefully they won't be as pathetic this year as they were last -__-; Anyways, thanks to everyone who added this to their favorites/alerts lists!


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